INTERNATIONAL BORDERS GEOENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
CONTENTS:
GEOLOGICAL ATLAS OF THE BALTIC SEA LITHUANIAN
GEOMORPHOLOGY, DYNAMICS AND ANTHROPOGENIC LOAD
COAST:
GEOLOGY,
BITINAS, A.; ALEKSA, P.; DAMUŠYTĖ, A.; GULBINSKAS, S.; JARMALAVIČIUS, D.; KUZAVINIS, M.;
PUPIENIS, D.; ŠEČKUS, R.; TRIMONIS, E.; ŽAROMSKIS, R.; ŽILINSKAS, G.
5
MAP OF SURFACE SEDIMENTS OF THE POMERANIAN BIGHT
BOBERTZ, B.; HARFF, J.; KRAMARSKA, R.; LEMKE, W.; PRZEZDZIECKI, P.; UŚCINOWICZ, S.;
ZACHOWICZ, J.
7
FORMATION, EVOLUTION AND PRESENT-DAY MORPHO-LITHO-DYNAMICS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN BALTIC SEA COAST
BOLDYREV, V. L.
9
COOPERATION BETWEEN POLISH (PGI) AND GERMANY (LGRB, LUNG) GEOLOGICAL
SURVEYS – ON THE GEOLOGICAL MAPPING AND GEOENVIROMENTAL INVESTIGATIONS
DOBRACKI, R.
10
ARSENIC IN THE BOTTOM SEDIMENTS OF THE BALTIC SEA. IS IT DANGEROUS?
12
EMELYANOV, E. M.; KRAVTSOV, V. A.
GEOENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCHES IN THE GDANSK BASIN BETWEEN THE BORDERS
OF LITHUANIA, RUSSIA AND POLAND
EMELYANOV, E. M.; TRIMONIS, E.; UŚCINOWICZ, SZ.
14
GROUNDWATER MONITORING IN CROSS - BORDER AREAS – THE EXPERIENCE OF
LITHUANIA
GIEDRAITIENE, J.; KADUNAS, K.; SATKUNAS, J.; GRANICZNY, M.
17
REMOTE SENSING
DATA PERFECT TOOL FOR SOLVING GEOLOGICAL AND GEOENVIRONMENTAL CROSS-BORDER ISSUES
GRANICZNY, M.; KOWALSKI, Z.; PIĄTKOWSKA, A.
18
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING OF OILFIELD “KRAVTSOVSKOE” (D-6) NEAR
THE RUSSIAN-LITHUANIAN BORDER: ORGANIZATION CHART AND PRELIMINARY
RESULTS
SIVKOV, V.; GOLENKO, N.; KUZMINA, E.; PANKRATOVA, N.; SHCHUKA, S. & GORBATSKY, V.
19
OIL CONCENTRATION IN THE BALTIC SEA WATER OFFSHORE KALININGRAD REGION,
SPRING 2004
SIVKOV, V.& ZYKINA, E.
22
GEOLOGICAL MAPPING OF LITHUANIAN CROSS-BORDER AREAS – A BASIS FOR
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF MAPPED TERRITORIES
LAZAUSKIENĖ, J.; ŠLIAUPA, S.; ČYZIENĖ, J. & SATKŪNAS, J.
24
PLEISTOCENE DEPOSITS AND LANDFORMS WITHIN NORTH VIDZEME
26
OZOLS, D.
KEY PROBLEMS OF THE PLEISTOCENE PALAEOGEOGRAPHY IN THE BELARUSIAN PART
OF THE NEMAN TRANS-BORDER AREA
PAVLOVSKAYA, I. E.
29
ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND MANAGEMENT OF RIVER BASINS: POSSIBLE
IMPLICATIONS FOR ASSESSMENT OF STREAM DEGRADATION IN CROSS-BORDER AREAS
SAVCHIK, S.
30
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KRYNICA MORSKA, POLAND 16-19 JUNE 2004
GEOENVIRONMENT AND INTERNATIONAL BORDERS
SATKUNAS, J.; GRANICZNY, M. & LAZAUSKIENĖ, J.
32
TRENDS OF LITHUANIAN SEA COAST DYNAMICS
ŽILINSKAS, G.
34
ESTIMATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SENSITIVITY OF THE CURONIAN SPIT COASTAL ZONE
NATURAL COMPLEXES TO THE SEA CHEMICAL POLLUTION
ZOTOV, S.; VOLKOVA, I.; SHAPLYGINA, T.
37
—4—
INTERNATIONAL BORDERS GEOENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
GEOLOGICAL ATLAS OF THE BALTIC SEA LITHUANIAN COAST: GEOLOGY,
GEOMORPHOLOGY, DYNAMICS AND ANTHROPOGENIC LOAD
BITINAS, A.1; ALEKSA, P.2; DAMUŠYTĖ, A.3; GULBINSKAS, S.4; JARMALAVIČIUS, D.5;
KUZAVINIS, M.6; PUPIENIS, D.7; ŠEČKUS, R.8; TRIMONIS, E.9; ŽAROMSKIS, R.10;
ŽILINSKAS, G.11
1,2,3,8
S.Konarskio St., 03123 Vilnius, Lithuania;
e-mails: albertas.bitinas@lgt.lt, paulius.aleksa@lgt.lt, aldona.damusyte@lgt.lt, rimantas.seckus@lgt.lt
4
Klaipėda University, Coastal Research and Planing Institute, 84 H.Manto St., 92294 Klaipėda, Lithuania;
e-mail: gulbinskas@geo.lt
5,6,7,9,11
Institute of Geology and Geography, 13 T.Ševčenkos St., 03223 Vilnius, Lithuania;
e-mails: jarmalavicius@geo.lt, kuzavinis@geo.lt, pupienis@geo.lt, trimonis@geologin.lt, zilinskas@geo.lt
9
Vilnius University, Department of Hydrology and Climatology, 21/27 Čiurlionio St., 03100 Vilnius, Lithuania;
e-mail: rimas.zaromskis@gt.vu.lt
The seashore area is constantly exposed to increasing anthropogenic load. By the end of the 20th century,
the load became an independent geological factor affecting many shore-formation processes. Lately problems of
the Lithuanian coast of the Baltic Sea have become particularly acute. On the one hand, this was caused by
natural factors (heavier storms, intensifying outwashing of sand from the littoral area, rise in the water level in
the World Ocean etc.) and on the other hand, by man-caused factors such as harbour development and dredging,
growth in recreation industry etc. Though the Lithuanian coastline of the Baltic Sea is only 90.6 km long, so far
it has not been studied sufficiently, neither in fundamental terms as a transit area between surface and marine
geosystems nor in applied terms as an object of development of marine industry, recreation and use of marine
resources.
The geological atlas of the Lithuanian coast of the Baltic Sea has been conceived as a special complex study
that can satisfy an increased demand for information about the Baltic Sea coast. The atlas was compiled through
co-operation of experts from the Geological Survey Lithuania, the Institute of Geology and Geography, and
Vilnius and Klaipėda Universities. The atlas consists of digital maps including a geological-geomorphologic
map and a map of anthropogenic load at a scale of 1:5000 and an explanatory note. Graphic and textual
information includes a catalogue of repeated grading curves obtained by the shores’ geodynamic monitoring,
data arrays from field and analytical studies, and descriptions of borehole cross-sections. The geologicalgeomorphologic map covers the beach and the protective dune ridge or cliff, i. e. an onshore belt 100-300 m
wide. The underwater slope of the offshore is covered by the map up to 15-20 m isobates. The map is illustrated
by more than 100 geological cross-sections. It became clear after the start of works that the diversity of
geological objects, geomorphologic forms and the anthropogenic objects in a narrow coastal strip 200-300 m
wide, which was the subject of investigation, could only be shown in a map scaled not less than 1:5000.
The results of earlier geological investigations and the information obtained as a result of compilation of
presented geological atlas show that the deposits and sediments that are found on the Lithuanian coast of the
Baltic Sea and that affect its formation are exclusively Quaternary ones. The continental part of the coast and the
shore of the Curonian Spit stand out geologically. Deposits formed during a few resent glaciations have largely
determined the quite diverse and variable geological structure of the continental part of the shore. While sandy
sediments that had formed mainly in the Litorina and Post-Litorina Seas and their lagoons prevail in the northern
part the southern coastal area is characterised by glacial (moraine) deposits formed during the last and the one
before last glaciation periods, in most cases showing up in the abraded cliff shores.
Geomorphologically, the continental and the spit parts of the coast are quite different too. A protective
aeolian dune ridge that has formed naturally occurs along the continental coast. Its parameters vary from the
height of 4-6 m and the width of 50-60 m at Būtingė or Melnragė to the height of 9-10 m and the width of 100130 m to the south of Šventoji. Here and there the dune ridge has been fully destroyed by abrasion caused by
waves as well as by deflation. The processes of suffosion in the dune ridge are observed close to Nemirsėta.
While in the northern part of the continental coast, a Post-Litorinaa marine lagoon plain occurs behind an dune
ridge, the glacigenous relief formed during the last glaciation is seen to the south of Palanga.
The upper part of the Quaternary deposits in the shore of Curonian Spit reveals sediments that had formed in the
basins of various stages of the Baltic Sea’s development – starting from the Baltic Ice Lake and ending with
recent marine sediments. In the spit part of the coast, there is a man-made protective dune ridge (foredune),
whose formation was started 200 years ago, stretching along the whole length of the spit. Its height varies from
7-8 m at Juodkrantė to 15 m at Kopgalis; the prevailing width is from 50-60 m to 90-100 m. It should be noted
that in the environs of Pervalka the dune ridge widens to 150 m, acquiring a two-humped shape. Throughout the
—5—
KRYNICA MORSKA, POLAND 16-19 JUNE 2004
spit coast, a deflator plain overgrown with plants occurs behind the protective dune ridge. Apart from aeolian
sedimentation, the coastal ridge is characterised by intensive deflator processes as a result of which ravines, pits,
moulds etc. are formed.
The offshore areas of the Curonian Spit and the continental coast differ in their geological and
geomorphologic structure. A plateau of glacial origin separates the offshore part of the continental coast from the
deep areas of the Baltic Sea. The bottom relief has abrasive and accumulative character, at places with abrasive
relics such as Pleistocene moraine outcomes or accumulations of boulders or shingle washed out of them. The
formation of recent bottom sediments takes place at different depths: from 0 to 20-27 m, or only up to 4 m in
some areas. Sandbars up to 4-5 m in depth occur. Mainly two, sometimes three sandbars are found.
The underwater slope of the Curonian Spit is characterised by a cumulative relief . Recent bottom deposits, the
formation and distribution of which are strongly influenced by the S-N longitudinal offshore sediment drift. The
sandbars are characteristic for the underwater slope. In the central part of the Curonian Spit, at Nida, an offshore
sandbar form at the depth of 8-9 m. It is very distinctly expressed in the underwater relief and its height reaches
4-6 m. Two, or sometimes three almost uninterrupted chains of sandbars are observed along the shore. In the
northern part of the Curonian Spit the depth of formation of sandbars is reduced to 3-4 m. The sandbars become
smaller but their number increases to 4-5.
In the offshore area the composition of the sediment material is quite diverse: from coarse clastic material to
sands of various coarseness and silt. The sediment material is washed out from relict moraine formations and
carried by the longitudinal offshore sediment drift; sediments from the Curonian Lagoon also supplement it.
Thus the genesis of sediment material is diverse and, influenced by hydrodynamic factors; it forms lithological
types of bottom deposits of various granulometric compositions. There are three main lithological types of
sediments: boulders with shingle and gravel, coarse and medium sand, and fine sand.
The geological atlas of the Lithuanian coast includes the data of monitoring of coastal dynamics showing the
long-term morphodynamic coastal trends. An analysis of collected field data has revealed that in the period
1993-2003 the budget of continental coastal surface sediments was negative: the annual loss of sand was 48,000
m3 on the average (or 1.3 m3 per linear metre). The balance of the Curonian Spit coastal surface sediments was
positive, with the annual accumulated quantity of sand being around 34,000 m3 or 0.7 m3 per linear metre. So the
total annual sand balance of the Lithuanian coast was negative – around 13,000 m3. The length of cumulative
sectors of Lithuanian coast has decreased 3.4 times (from 36 to 10.6 km). The length of eroded and stabile
coastal sectors increased 1.5 times (from 16 to 24.2 km and from 37.5 to 54.7 km respectively). Unfortunately,
the total length of stable coasts sectors has increased at the expense of cumulative sectors and not as a result of
stabilisation. The same situation is observed in the beach dune ridge (in 1994-2002): the positive annual balance
in the Curonian Spit (more than 130,000 m3) does not compensate for the losses of sediments in the continental
dune ridge and moraine cliffs (around 415,000 m3). As a result, every year the Lithuanian sea coast (the Spit and
the continental part) loses 285,000 m3 of sand from the dune ridge, or 0.4 per linear metre in average.
The geological atlas of the Lithuanian shores of the Baltic Sea allows answering certain fundamental
questions related to the geological structure and paleogeography, which so far has been prevented by the lack of
data. A dense network of morphological and geological cross-sections forms a sufficiently complete picture of
the lithological composition of the upper part of the sedimentary deposits. The atlas contains information about
the sand drift reserves both onshore and on the underwater slope. The deficiency of drift is especially acute in the
offshore area of the continental coast. The atlas also presents materials enabling to analyse trends in spatial
distribution of sediments that facilitates finding of sand for artificial feeding of beaches. The issue is becoming
increasing important in the context of global warming of climate and rising of the sea level.
A detailed presentation of the anthropogenic load as well as conditions and structure of the dune ridge or
cliff in the atlas should be of use for the solution of coastal protection and coastal management problems. Thus
the information in the atlas is indispensable for the adoption of decisions at various administrative levels.
—6—
INTERNATIONAL BORDERS GEOENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
MAP OF SURFACE SEDIMENTS OF THE POMERANIAN BIGHT
BOBERTZ, B.IOW; HARFF, J.IOW; KRAMARSKA, R.PGI; LEMKE, W.IOW; PRZEZDZIECKI, P.PGI;
UŚCINOWICZ, S.PGI; ZACHOWICZ, J.PGI
IOW
PGI
1
Baltic Sea Research Institute Warnemünde, Germany, www.io-warnemuende.de
Polish Geological Institute, Branch of Marine Geology, Poland, www.pgi.gov.pl
e-mail: bernd.bobertz@io-warnemuende.de
Introduction
The map of surface sediments of the Pomeranian Bight covers the German and Polish parts of the Pomeranian
Bight and adjacent areas – the eastern part of the Arkona Basin and the southern part of the Bornholm Basin, the
Adlergrund and Rønne Bank. The area of the map is limited by the coastline to the south, by the latitude 55°20’
to the north and by the meridians 13°30’ to the west and 16°00’ to the east.
2
Sampling and grain size distribution analyses
The data of both sides, the Polish and German sources, were obtained almost entirely in the 1960s to 1980s.
In the sum nine different analyse standards were applied in measuring the grain size distributions of the 6689
surface samples involved in the map presented. Two basic physical methods can be distinguished here – sieving
and settling procedures. Some standards combine both principles measuring the fraction greater 63µm applying
sieving and the fraction below this threshold by settling.
3
Data compilation
The major difficulty combining grain size data from varying sources is the utilisation of unequal sequences
of size fractions at the different labs and/or operators while measuring grain size data. This causes incompatible
results.
Tauber (1995) presents a method to solve this problem. A Fermi function with two parameters, "median"
and "sorting", is used to approximate the empirical cumulative grain size distribution. Bobertz (2000) extended
the equation of Tauber (1995) in order to express the "skewness" of a grain size distribution (eq. 1).
1
x  med

1.7

1  e so sk tanh x  med   , so  sk  tanh z   sk  0




F x   1,
so  sk  tanh z   sk  0
0,
so  sk  tanh z   sk  0



F
x
med
so
sk
..
..
..
..
..
(1)
relative weight of the grains below a given size x at the phi-scale (Krumbein 1934)
grain size at the phi-scale
"median"
"sorting", (so >0)
"skewness"
A fitting procedure basing on the least square sum method and implementing an evolutionary strategy
(Rechenberg 1973) was used to process the grain size data. Bobertz and Harff (2004) give a short description
about the details.
In order to interpolate the values of the grain size parameters Ordinary Kriging (Journel and Huijbregts 1978)
was applied.
4
Presentation
The method presented by Tauber (1995) involves a scheme for the concurrently presentation of the grain size
parameters “median” and “sorting” in one map. The “median” values are classified after (Wentworth 1922)
and presented by conventional colours. The “sorting” values are classified in an own manner (0.35 very well, 0.7
well, 1.4 moderately, 2.8 poorly sorted). Each “sorting” class is assigned to a grey value ranging from white
—7—
KRYNICA MORSKA, POLAND 16-19 JUNE 2004
(very well sorted) to dark grey (very poorly sorted). Combining the colours of the “median” values with the
corresponding grey values of the "sorting" results in a shading of the coloured sediment map.
This method was applied and is in use for mapping tasks of the German Federal Maritime Travel
and Hydrographic Agency (Tauber and Lemke 1995, Tauber et al. 1999).
5
Sediment description
The sediment types of the mapped area are closely correlated with the bathymetry. Shallow water depths of up
to 30 m are characterized by outcropping till, lag deposits or sands. The deeper parts of the Bornholm Basin
(east of Bornholm Island) and Arkona basin (west of Bornholm Island) are covered by fine grained mud
deposits.
Figure 1:
6
Map of the surface sediments in the Pomeranian Bight
REFERENCES:
Bobertz, B. and Harff, J., 2004. Sediment Facies and Hydrodynamic Setting: A Study in the South-Western
Baltic Sea.- Ocean Dynamics, 54: 39–48
Bobertz, B., 2000. Regionalisierung der sedimentären Fazies der südwestlichen Ostsee, PhD thesis,
Ernst-Moritz-Arndt Universität, Greifswald, 121 pp.
Journel, A.G., Huijbregts, C., 1978. Mining Geostatistics. Academic Press, London, 600 pp.
Krumbein, W.C., 1934. Size Frequency Distribution of Sediments. Journal of Sedimentary Petrology, 4: 65 - 77.
Rechenberg, I., 1973. Evolutionsstrategie - Optimierung technischer Systeme nach dem Prinzip der biologischen
Evolution. problemata. Friedrich Frommannn Verlag (Holzboog KG.), Stuttgart-Bad Carnstatt.
Tauber, F., 1995. Characterization of Grain-Size Distributions for Sediment Mapping of the Baltic Sea Bottom,
The Baltic - 4th Marine Geological Conference. SGU/Stockholm Centre for Marine Research, Uppsala.
Tauber, F. and Lemke, W., 1995. Map of Sediment Distribution in the Western Baltic Sea (1:100.000), Sheet
"Darß". Deutsche Hydrographische Zeitschrift, 47(3): 171 - 178.
Tauber, F., Lemke, W. and Endler, R., 1999. Map of Sediment distribution in the Western Baltic Sea
(1:100.000), Sheet Falster-Mön. Deutsche Hydrographische Zeitschrift, 51(1): 5 - 32.
Wentworth, C.K., 1922. A scale of grade and class terms for clastic sediments.- J. Geol., 30: 377-392.
—8—
INTERNATIONAL BORDERS GEOENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
FORMATION, EVOLUTION AND PRESENT-DAY MORPHO-LITHO-DYNAMICS
OF THE SOUTH-EASTERN BALTIC SEA COAST.
BOLDYREV, V. L.
Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Atlantic Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences
1, Prospect Mira, 236000, Kaliningrad, Russia
e-mail: Vadim_Boldyrev@mail.ru
The present-day coastal zone is known to have been formed during the last seven thousand years. The process of
its formation was very complicated and took place in the conditions of constant sea-level changes. The author
consideres Rh.W. Fairbridge`s view on sea-level fluctuations (1961) most acceptable for that period of time.
However, as regards South-Eastern Baltic Coast, it has to be proved. The reason is, that very few data have been
received so far concerning sea-level changes and sea coast evolution at the final stage of Holocene transgression.
At the same time, the latest finds of ancient lagoon silt deposits, discovered at the lagoon side of the Vistula Spit
and along the eastern side of the Curonian Spit, prove that the sea-level of the Baltic Sea has risen by 4 - 4,5 m
since the time of their formation.
The research in the history of South-Eastern Baltic sea coast formation and evolution during the last seven
thousand years is of great interest, especially at the section of Cape Rozheve and as far as Klaipeda. The first
results were received from the sea bottom test vibro-borings performed selectively in the 1960s. It made possible
to mark the ancient lagoon silts of the lithorine age, found at the root of the Curonian Spit, in the Kaliningrad
shipping canal and at the Vistula Spit sea coast, at the depth 10 m. However, at that time complete and exact
dating of these deposits was not done.
In view of the considerations mentioned above, the author suggests organizing perspective research work
scheduled for 2005-2007 year period on board the research ship “ Shelf ” with vibro-piston equipment. The
research can be performed by joint efforts of international science team including researchers from Geological
Institute of Poland, Atlantic Department of Institute of Oceanology, RAS, and Lithuanian Geological Service.
Alongside with these researches, coastal studies of Vistula and Curonian Spilts may also be organized.
REFERENCES:
Fairbridge, Rh.W. (1961) Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Vol.4 (Eds. Ahrens, Press, Ramkama, Runkorn),
Pergamon Press, London.
—9—
KRYNICA MORSKA, POLAND 16-19 JUNE 2004
COOPERATION BETWEEN POLISH (PGI) AND GERMANY (LGRB, LUNG)
GEOLOGICAL SURVEYS – ON THE GEOLOGICAL MAPPING AND
GEOENVIROMENTAL INVESTIGATIONS
DOBRACKI, R.PGI
PGI
Polish Geological Institute, Branch of Marine Geology, Poland, www.pgi.gov.pl
e-mail: ryszard.dobracki@pgi.gov.pl
As a consequence of political changes in both countries, official connections on scientific field, as well as
personal contacts between Polish and German geologists has been broadened and intensified. As a result both
sides became open for new ideas not only with regard to cooperation, but also for transfer of knowledge and
survey results.
In the field of geology a new era of joint scientific studies and fieldwork was to start and bring significant results
soon.
In March 1997 an official Polish - German agreement concerning scientific cooperation within the scope of
Earth Sciences has been signed by Prof. F-W. Wellmer (BGR) and Prof. S. Speczik (PGI). Both sides agreed
then to work together on geological and geo- environmental maps. Data bases transfer, joint scientific studies of
Cenozoic, Mesozoic and Paleozoic structures situated on the area of Polish/German Lowland as well as joint
elaboration of gas and oil resources possible localization forecasts in northern parts of both countries were also
subjects of interests.
The first official meeting of Polish and German geological surveys on regional level (Pomeranian Branch of
Polish Geological Institute and LGRB) preceded an official agreement and took place in 1996 in Frankfurt/O in
the seat of LGRB. The meeting was a result of joint efforts of Directors Schwab and Dobracki as well as Dr F.
Brose, whose commitment to the idea of Polish – German scientific cooperation is well known in geological
circle. Both sides introduced their current tasks, goals and achievements in the field of geological cartography
and Cenozoic deposits surveys. Also the framework of future cooperation has been elaborated.It embraced an
idea of joint preparation and edition of geological map sheets of Western Pomerania-Brandenburg cross-border
area in 1:50 000 scale.
Accordingly, joint fieldwork on this area has started. Its results ( outcrops and drilling/core profiles
presentations, analysis of morphology and selected aspects of paleogeography) enabled correlation of the
Quaternary deposits on both sides of the Odra river with regard to lithofacial and stratygraphic aspects.
The project attracted attention of the Lower Schlessien Brench of the PGI, that took part in it by performing
tasks within the scope of geological cartography of the area situated southward Słubice.
As Odra Valley, a feature dividing both countries is a geological structure of great importance, its geological
and geoenvironmental studies performed by Polish and German geologists are vital for safe development
planning as well as environment protection and its resources exploitation.
Because of this fact, the first Polish-German project was aimed towards preparing “Map of natural resources
and geoenvironmental hazards on the area of Polish-German borderline”. This map - based on the data collected
in 1997-98 - is presented as a poster at this conference.
The sheet Frankfurt/O-Słubice is the first geological sheet prepared together by Polish and German scientists
in course of joint work. The results of tests and surveys performed during this map elaboration (interglacial
positions) brought new data as well as new details. They cleared and completed the picture of Cenozoic
structures constitution with regard to genesis and age of glacitectonic disturbances as well as Pleistocene
stratygraphy on both sides of Odra.
Also the maps of surface relief have been correlated with regard to structures/forms and genesis of deposits
of the last glacial, including continental ice transgression and deglaciation processes as well as present surface
relief and hydrographic aspects
The result of constant and still widening scope of cooperation of geologists from Frankfurt, Szczecin
and Wrocław is presentation of their achievements at international geological conference in Słubice, organized
by GGW and PTG. The idea of this conference was “Geologie ist Granzenlos” and this idea is still present
in
our joint efforts, preceding Accession Acts of a million years.
The next step as well as significant achievement on European level are 5 sheets of geological map of PolishGerman cross - border area (scale 1:200 000) prepared by Polish and German geologists and published by
BGR.The map presents correlated geological constitution and stratygraphy of surface deposits. Very few
European countries have similar achievements in the field of geological cartography.
Presently in joint Polish – German projects - once initiated by LGRB and PIG - are participating scientific
centers (TUB, FUB, UAM, US) and geological societies of both countries. In August 2002, one of the touristic
— 10 —
INTERNATIONAL BORDERS GEOENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
routes introduced to the participants of Deuqua Congress was situated on the Polish side of the borderline.
Deposites as well as structures of pomeranian phase of the last glacial ( with regard to their
morphology/situation, position, lithofacial and stratygraphic) were presented to the Congress participants.
Also this time the idea, that there are no borders in geology not only was proved to be true, but also was
transformed to “Geologists do not approve any borders/frontiers”. (Of course not taking into account borders
of geological formations.
Right now our joint works on the next sheet Seelow – Kostrzyn (scale 1:50 000) are in progress, there is also
another sheet Letschin – Cedynia planned.
In September 2003 an official agreement concerning Polish – German cooperation in the field of geology has
been signed between LGRB and PGI. It clearly precises our present and fortcoming goals, that is:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
geological carthography (surface and basement)
hydrogeological maps (scale 1:200 000)
maps of soil in the Odra Valley
corelation and lithotypes of fluvial and glacial sediments
geotouristic map (scale 1: 100 000)
Nadodrze geotopes
joint data base (satellitte and radar data)
geoenvironmental hazards
Cooperation with Landsamt fuer Umwelt, Naturschutz und Geologie (LUNG), the geological serveys
of Mecklenburg – Vorpommern has started in 2000. Initially it had a form of working meetings aimed towards
setting goals and preparing a schedule of joint projects evaluation.
In March 2001 sheets of Pomerania and Mecklenburg cross-border area (as a part of detailed geological map
of Poland) in scale 1:50 000 were presented in Guestrow in the new seat of LUNG. On this basis the meeting
participants discussed correlations of geological divisions with regard to stratygraphy and lithogenesis of
Quaternary deposites..Also a programme of joint actions with a special concern for geological map of Usedom
and Wolin Islands and Wkra Lowland (scale 1:50 000) has been prepared then. After presentation of a paper
“Geotopes in Poland and Western Pomerania” by R. Dobracki and A.Ber, a project of the 1 st edition of
geotouristic map of Western Pomerania/Mecklemburg was approved.
In 2002 both sides agreed to work together on geological map of Western Pomerania and initiated a project
of establishing a Maritime Coast Geopark, that is to embrace areas of Rugia, Usedom and Wolin Isles. Another
decissions were focused on collecting data for geotouristic map and concerned creating geotops data base.
In the field of hydrogeology PIG and LUNG are carrying out a cross – border groundwater menegement project
on the area of Eastern Usedom/Świnoujście since 2001.
The fields of particular interests for both sides are geotourism, maritime coast protection and evaluation, natural
environment preservation and geological haritage.
In 2003 the cooperating parts started a joint project of geotouristic map Pomerania in scale 1:200 000.
The bilingual map was first presented at International Meeting on Geotopes taking place in Stralsund on 11-14
May 2004, that was organized by German Geological Society and is also presented at this conference.
The main idea of that project was to combine description of suface deposits, morphology and history. The map is
a combination of a simplified geological map with touristic geotopes.This approach enables to describe
landscape as well as geological constitution of the areas situated on both sides of Odra.
Next challenge for the cooperating parts is to be elaboration of a similar map describing the areas of Usedom
and Wolin isles and Wkra Forest Lowland. The work is to start this year.
— 11 —
KRYNICA MORSKA, POLAND 16-19 JUNE 2004
ARSENIC IN THE BOTTOM SEDIMENTS OF THE BALTIC SEA.
IS IT DANGEROUS?
EMELYANOV, E. M.; KRAVTSOV, V. A.
P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology RAS, Atlantic Branch,
Department of Atlantic Geology.
prospect Mira, 1, Kaliningrad, 236000, Russia
e-mail: abio@atlas.baltnet.ru
Arsenic (As) is among mostly dangerous pollutant. By degree of toxicity, arsenic occupies 7 place, following
such elements as Hg, Cd, Pb, Se, Zn, Cu. The contents of this element in the several samples of phytoplankton,
suspended particulate matter (SPM) and in the many samples of the bottom sediments are studied in our
Department. Arsenic was determined in the same samples where the trace metals, Corg., N, P, CO 2 and the other
components and elements are measured also. 8 short cores and about 80 samples of upper layer of bottom
sediments are studied: in the Visltula and Kuronian lagoons, in the region near of Sambian peninsula, in the
Bornholm basin and in the Gulf of Finland, in total about 200 samples.
Based on studies carried out in Bornholm basin in regions of dumped chemical munitions (CM), we have
found the high contents of As (from 100 to 277 ppm) in 7 samples (out of 55 samples from the surface (0-5 cm)
layer of bottom sediments (pelitic mud) in which As has been determined). These values are approximately 5-10
times more than background contents of As, which are characteristic for pelitic mud from Bornholm basin
(20-40 ppm). The largest number of "anomalies" in As concentrations was found near 2 ships dumped on the
bottom which probably loaded with chemical munitions. Contents of As from deeper layers of bottom sediments
(5-50 cm) were within the limits of background values of this element (20-40 ppm) which are characteristic for
pelitic mud of Bornholm basin. Thus, the surface layer of sediments is contaminated with As indicates to its
additional (anthropogenic) sources. Our studies have shown that the other elements (Cu, Pb, Cd, Sb, Ag, Cr, Fe,
Mn, Ca, Mg, Li, Co, Ni, Na, K, Al, Si, P, N, C)) in the muds in the layer (5-50 cm) have no anomalous contents.
Contents of these elements are at the level which are usual (background) for the surface layer of bottom
sediments in Bornholm basin. C, N and P are contained by poison matter (PM) but it seemingly oxidizes to
nitrates, phosphates and carbon dioxides, which are evacuated from dump sites in dissolved condition.
Increased contents of As (about 50-114 ppm) were found in four cores subsurface layers of bottom sediments
(within the depth range from 10 to 65 cm) in the Vistula lagoon. Also, increased values of As (50-122 ppm) were
found in surface samples of sands, pelitic and aleuro-pelitic mud in Gdansk basin, near to Rybachy bank (the
region of D-6 oil platform). This indicates that these sediments are either contaminated by technogenic arsenic or
contain the Fe-sulfides (or Fe-Mn nodules). It is well known that As are concentrated by Fe-sulfides and Fe-Mn
nodules (for example, Fe-sulfides contain up to 440 ppm As).
In the North-Baltic deep (the neck of the Gulf of Finland), contents of As throughout the whole length of the
studied cores of bottom sediments were within the background values (9-34 ppm) which are characteristic of this
region.
The additional sources of arsenic in the Baltic Sea obviously are:
1) chemical munition (CM) which dumped in the some Baltic deeps; 2) pesticides (the As-containing pesticides)
and mineral fertilizers, used in the agricultural lands, as well as incineration of coal and other fuels; 3) kerogenbearing rocks of ordovician, denuding on the bottom which contains in average 150 ppm As (Harin, Kyrval,
1991); 4) using with building the sandy-gravel mixture, contained Fe-sulfides enriched by arsenic. This mixture
was used actively in the paper industry and in construction of hydro- technical buildings in Vistula lagoon.
In consequence, it is named as "disease of the lagoon" (Weller, 1925).
Arsenic is contained in some types of poison matter (luisite, adamsite). It is one of main indicator of erosion
of dumped chemical munition, when poison matter (PM) escape into the environment. Arsenic is different from
other products of hydrolysis of PM (for example, secondary acids - HCl, HF, HCN) instead of gradual
dissolution in the water column and evacuation beyond the limits of burial zone, arsenic is reprecepitated and
deposited in the bottom sediments not so far from the dump site area. As a result of corrosion of chemical
munitions, poison matter undergo the following transformation during hydrolysis: luisite (2chlorvinildichlorarsin) - chlorvinyl arsenic acid - inorganic forms of As.
Average concentration of As in the ocean is 1 - 2 µg/l. Arsenic changes its form from 5-valency to 3-valentcy.
In ocean (sea), As exists in 4 main forms: arsenate - HAsO42-; arsenite - HAsO2; metilarsenate - CH3AsO(OH)O- ;
dimetilarsenate - (CH3)2AsO2-. Arsenates, which is thermodynamically stable form of As, dominate in the ocean.
In nature, 95-100% of the total As exist in the form of inorganic compounds (mainly arsenates), and only 2-5%
As exist as organic compounds (mainly metilarsenates). Metilarsenates accumulate mainly in the photosynthesis
— 12 —
INTERNATIONAL BORDERS GEOENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
layer (zone of primary production). Maximum concentration of metilarsenates in this zone is 0.015-0.23 µg/l,
whilst at depth of 400 m theirs average concentration decreases to 0.0083+0.0006 µg/l. Dimetilarsenates also
concentrate mainly in the photosynthesis layer of the ocean. Plankton may produce compounds of metilarsenates,
which in turn may reduce arsenates to arsenites. Low-mobile As (III), which dominates in reducing environment,
transform from arsenite (HAsO2) into more mobile forms of arsenate (HAsO42-) under oxidized conditions.
Hydrobionts absorb only inorganic As, 75% of which is assimilated and 25% is liberated without any changes.
Inorganic As (especially arsenite As(III)) is more dangerous substance for marine organisms (its limiting value
for invertebrates and fish is 700-1000 µg/l). As(IV) (arsenate) is much less toxic (approximately 3 times) than
arsenite. Marine organisms contain from 1 (mollusks) to 80 (crustaceous) ppm of As. Marine fish contain about
26 ppm of As, on average (Gamayurova, 1993). Phytoplankton and suspended particulate matter of the Baltic Sea
contains on average 4.2 and 14 ppm of As, correspondingly. In seas and oceans, arsenic concentrates in large
amounts in ferromanganese nodules and crusts and in Fe- sulfides due to natural biogeochemical and
physiochemical processes. Contents of As in Fe-Mn nodules and Fe-sulfides of the Baltic Sea make up 96-653
ppm and 270-440 ppm, correspondingly. In the Litorina mud which have accumulated in the Gdansk basin about
7 thousand years ago were found contents only 4-8 ppm of As. The same contents of arsenic were found in
Ancyllus clays (age of which is about 9 thousand years). These muds and clays are anthropogenically "clean"
(not polluted by a human activity) and may be taken as background for environmental conditions in the Baltic
Sea. Clark of As for clays and shales is 10 ppm.
Input of As from anthropogenic sources is 3-12 times more than that from natural sources. The most poison
arsenic compound is As (III) oxide (As2O3- white arsenic), which is rare in nature (because of it is extreme
instability). This substance can be produced artificially. The largest input of As comes from production of color
metallurgy, which provide on average about 82% of total anthropogenic As. Application of arsenic-containing
pesticides in agriculture also leads to contamination of soil in this element. Theoretically, maximum allowable
concentration (according to state standard ГН 2.1.7.020-94) of As makes up 2 ppm for sands and subsand soils,
and 10 ppm for clayey soils. However, As is gradually removed from soils and goes into sea basins where
redeposited in bottom sediments. Another large source of anthropogenic As is burning of organic fuel (especially
coal). As a result of these processes, As comes to air, wherefrom it is precipitated together with dust or washed
out directly into oceans by rain. We have found 7.4 ppm of As in the aerosols of Atlantic ocean. The time of its
occurrence in the atmosphere is not more than 9 days. In 2000, the worldwide industrial production of As(III)
made up 50-57 thousand tons (Gamayurova, 1993).
Researches have been carried out with the financial support of the Federal Program of Russian Federation
"The World Ocean" (Theme №.6: "Complex studies of processes, characteristics and resources of Russian seas
belonging to North-European basin") and Project № 02-05-64092 of Russian Fund of Fundamental research
(RFFR) № 02-05-64092.
REFERENCES:
Emelyanov E.M., Kravtsov V.A., Paka V.T. Danger for life of the areas of dumped chemical munition in the
Skagerrak Sea and in the Baltic Sea//Abstracts of the Scientific-practical conference «Ecological safety and
its juridical warranty». Kaliningrad Juridical Institute of Home Office of Russia. Kaliningrad. 1999, p. 3-18
(in Russian).
Emelyanov E.M., Kravtsov V.A., Paka V.T. Danger for life of the areas of Skagerak Sea and in the Baltic Sea
where the chemical ammunition is deposited//WACRA Europe. Abstracts of XVI International Conference
“LOCAL AGENDA 21. Through case method research and teaching towards a sustainable future”.
1999. Kaunas. Lithuania. P. 17.
Emelyanov E.M., Paka V.T., Kravtsov V.A.. The problem of the Baltic in XXI Century. Trophy chemical
munition //The Journal of Russian Navy «Marine collection» №2(1839). 2000. p.41-43. (in Russian).
Willer A. Studien uber das Frishe Haff I. Die allgemeinen hydrographischen und biologischen Verhaltnisse das
Frischen Haffes; II. die Haffkrankheit// Zeitschrift fur Fischerei, XXIII, berlin, 1925.
Kharin G.S., Kyrwel V. Lithological-geochemical comparison of lower-ordovician kerogen-bearing rocks on
the Estonian mainland and the Baltic sea bottom//Oil-Shaile. 1991. V.8, №4, p. 306-315.
Gamayurova V.S. Arsenic in ecology and in biology.“Nauka”. Moscow. 1993. 186 p.
— 13 —
KRYNICA MORSKA, POLAND 16-19 JUNE 2004
GEOENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCHES IN THE GDANSK BASIN
BETWEEN THE BORDERS OF LITHUANIA, RUSSIA AND POLAND
EMELYANOV, E. M.1; TRIMONIS, E.2; UŚCINOWICZ, SZ.3
1
Atlantic Branch of P.P.Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, RAS, Kaliningrad
e-mail: atlas@baltnet.ru
2
Vilnius University, Vilnius
3
Polish Geological Institute, Branch of Marine Geology, Gdansk
The Gdansk Basin, including its water and coast areas are divided between three states: Lithuania, Russia
and Poland. State borders pass across the Curonian and Vistula Lagoons, Curonian and Vistula Spits and the
middle part of the Gdansk Basin. There are no political and economical borders for air and water flows, and
consequently for flows of sedimentary material as a whole, and flows of polluting components in particular.
Consequently, joint studies of sediments, water, atmosphere and shores by scientists from Lithuania, Russia and
Poland are of vital importance. Although for 30-50 years these problems have been the subject of considerable
interest, intensity of these studies become considerably smaller in the past 10-15 years, as a result of political and
economical transformations in Europe.
Of greatest importance for transborder studies are bathymetric, geological, lithological and geochemical
maps. The sets of lithological and geochemical maps of the sea floor have been made independently in Lithuania
(Repecka, Cato 1998, Gulbinskas, Trimonis 1999), in Poland (e.g. Mojski ed. 1989-1994, Szczepanska,
Uscinowicz 1994, Uscinowicz, Zachowicz 1996) and in Russia (Emelyanov, 1988, Blazhchishin et al., 1976).
Also, geological map of pre-Quartenary rocks (Grigelis et al. 1990, Kramarska et al. 1999.) have been made both
for the Baltic Sea as a whole and for the frontier areas of the Gdansk Basin in particular. Each of these countries
had programs of making their own bathymetric maps (Gelumbauskaite 1998, 2002, Gelumbauskaite, Litvin et al.
in Lithuania and Russia; Rudenko and Razheva, 2003, in Russia). Hundreds of scientific publications and several
monographs devoted to bottom sediments, their composition and sedimentation have been issued in the past
years. Among the latest monograph is "The geology of the Gdansk Basin" published in Kaliningrad (E. M.
Emelyanov ed., 2002). This monograph describes main sedimentological and geochemical processes in the
Gdansk Basin, also occurring in the coastal areas of these countries. The most authors of the monograph’s
chapters, including lithological and geochemical maps of sediments, are from three neighboring countries:
Lithuania, Russia and Poland. The monograph shows that the main importance in deep-water sedimentation in
the Gdansk Basin are has a sedimentary material from two big rivers: Wisła (Vistula) and Nemunas (Neman in
Russian, Niemen in Polish) (via Klaipeda Strait). Sediment discharge from these rivers originate two main
provinces of sedimentation: Vistula and Neman provinces. Delimitation line between these provinces occur
somewhere between 55˚18' N and 55˚20' N, at depths of 95-102 m. The thickness of sediments vary within the
limits from 4 to 10 m in the Vistula sedimentary province and from 0.1 to 4 m in the Neman province. Sediments
of these two provinces differ from each other by some lithological and geochemical parameters. Input from the
sedimentary province of the Sambian Peninsula, which is a powerful source of sediments (coastal and bottom
erosive material), is of insignificant importance in deep water part of the Gdansk Basin, whereas in shallow,
coastal area, especially to the north of the Sambian Peninsula and near the shore of the Curonian Spit, it plays a
decisive role.
Similar, sediment supplied by the Vistula river play a main role in building up of the Vistula Spit, although
it is not known in details a interplay of material transported from the Sambian Peninsula and from the Vistula
mouth in formation of the spit.
The course of sedimentation in the Curonian Lagoon is controlled by sediments coming from the Neman
river which in the western part divides Lithuania and Russia. The main part of silty-clayey material (grain size
<0.05 mm) moves westward and southward from the mouth of this river (which is in Lithuania) to be deposited
in the central and southern parts of this lagoon, that is in Russian zone. The northern (Lithuanian) part of the
lagoon has been studied in detail (Trimonis et al. 2003), whereas the study of its southern (Russian) part is
merely insufficient. At present, involved parties have organized an exchange the samples of sediment cores and
scientific information, which will make it possible to undertake joint research efforts in frontier areas of this
lagoon.
The Vistula Lagoon is divided by state borders into two almost equal parts. To the end of XIX century the
main source of fine sediments was the Vistula river. Recently, sediment into the lagoon comes mainly from the
Pregola river and other small rivers. Poland and Russia during the last decade of XX century carried out their
own research programs without any correlation and coordination.
— 14 —
INTERNATIONAL BORDERS GEOENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
To study transboundary processes, it is important to know more about sea currents (both in the upper active
water layer and in bottom water layer). One of the authors of this report made an attempt to reconstruct the
pattern of deep (below the halocline) and near-bottom currents on the basis of instrumental measurements, types
of bottom sediments and their thickness and also considering the pattern of sediment layering (using acoustic
data from PARASOUND profiler) (Emelyanov, Gritsenko, 2002, 2004). The inflow of saline the North Sea
water to the Gdansk Basin from the Slupsk Trench occurs through the southern part of the Gdansk-Klaipeda Sill
(depth 80-89 m) and its outflow is in the northern part of this sill. In the Gdansk Basin, at depths of more than
60-70 m, the dominant mode of this water flow is cyclonic circulation. Near-bottom current which flows
cyclonically occurs also around depression with depths of 105-110 m in the southern part of the Gdansk Basin. It
is notable that water circulation is hindered in pra-valley of the Neman river (it is traditional name of elongated
depression - valley in eastern part of the Gdansk Basin), north of the Rybachyi Bank (Rasite): there, the oxygen
minimum layer was found to occur at depths of 70-60 m.
Coastal area of the Gdansk Basin is exposed to increasingly high anthropogenic and urbanization pressure.
In addition to available resort facilities and industries, this zone is also large built up area for construction of
transport facilities, including ports, berths for ferry boats, oil platforms and new navigable routes for shipping.
There are a lot of activity, new investments and plans in the eastern part of the Gdansk Basin. The largest
projects are: the Butinge crude oil quay, modernization of the Shventoyi port, expansion of the Klaipeda port,
putting in action of oil platform D-6 on the Rybachyi Plateau, construction of oil pipeline from D-6 to the
Pionersk port, activity of the Amber Plant which discharge to the Gdansk Basin a large amounts of sand and silt
as a waste product, deep sea oil port in the Yantarnyi, which Russians are planning to built. This port shall be the
deepest one in the Baltic area, ferry boat traffic to the Baltyisk, establishment of navigable routes between the
Baltyisk and the Elblag in the Vistula Lagoon.
Most of those projects will require new deposit areas for dredge material. Now existing dumpings in front of
the Baltyisk, Pionersk and Klaipeda ports influence seabed ecosystem. This requires improved knowledge of
specific action of dumps for neighbouring bottom areas. Also would be undertaken activities which would
provide for protection of the environment from oil hydrocarbons and other pollutants, including toxic metals (for
example, arsenic, concentrations of which in sediments of the Baltic sea and Vistula Lagoon are 2-5 time higher
than the Clarke of this element) and probably from products of decomposition of chemical munitions (dumped in
the Bornholm deep). For example, design and project works for arrangement of wind power at sea are in
progress now in coastal area north of the Baltyisk, at depths of 10-12 m, and also in the Vistula Lagoon, just
against the Mamonovo town.
All those economic activity and investments needs a better understanding of the marine environment. More
modern, integrated data from the areas of neighboring countries should be available for proper preparation of
environmental impact assessments and planning the monitoring. Research and monitoring efforts in the frontier
zones of all three states, namely Lithuania, Russia and Poland, should be strengthen. These researches should be
conducted within the frames of coordinated programs by using unified methods and modeling of environmental
situation.
This report is illustrated by numerous maps and profiles. The Russian part of this report was supported by
project B0047 “Integration”.
REFERENCES:
Blazhchisin A.I., 1976. Sediment map of the Baltic. – In: V. Gudelis a. E.Emelyanov (ed.). Geology of the
Baltic Sea. Mokslas, Vilnius.
Emelyanov, E.M., 1988. Biogenic sedimentation in the Baltic Sea and its consequenses. In: B.Winterhalter
(ed.). The Baltic Sea. Geologian tutkimuskeskus, Espoo, p. 127-136.
Emelyanov E.M., 1995. Baltic Sea: geology, geochemostry, paleoceanography, pollution. P.P.Shirshov Institute
of Oceanology RAS, Atlantic Branch. Kaliningrad: Yantarny Skaz, 120 p.
Emelyanov E.M. (ed.), 2002. Geology of the Gdansk Basin. Baltic Sea. – Kaliningrad, “Yantarny skaz”,
- 496 p.
Gelumbauskaite L.Ž. (ed.), 1998: Bathymetric map of the Central Baltic Sea. Scale 1:500 000. Lithuanian
Institute of Geology, Geological Survey of Lithuania, Geologiocal Survey of Sweden, Swedish Maritime
Administration, Vilnius–Uppsala.
Gelumbauskaite L.Ž., 2002: Holocene history of the northern part of the Kuršių Marios (Curonian Lagoon)//
Baltica, v. 15, 3–12.
— 15 —
KRYNICA MORSKA, POLAND 16-19 JUNE 2004
Gulbinskas S., Trimonis E., 1999: Distribution and composition of bottom sediments on the underwater slope
at the Lithuanian Coast of the Baltic Sea.//Baltica, Spec. Publ., v. 12, 32–37.
Grigelis A. (ed.), 1990: Geological map of the Baltic Sea bottom and adjacent land areas. Scale 1:500 000.
Kramarska R. (ed.), 1999: Geological map of the Southern Baltic without Quaternary deposits 1:500000.
Polish Geological Institute, Warszawa.
Mojski J. E. (ed.), 1989-1994: Geological Map of the Baltic Sea bottom 1:200000. Polish Geological Institute,
Warszawa.
Repečka M., Cato I. (eds.), 1998: Bottom sediments map of the Central Baltic Sea. Scale 1:500 000. Lithuanian
Institute of Geology, Geological Survey of Lithuania, Geologiocal Survey of Sweden, Swedish Maritime
Administration, Vilnius–Uppsala.
Rudenko M.V., Razheva T.I., 2003. Balhymetric map of the Baltic. Scale 1:500000. Atlantic Branch of
P.P.Shirshov Institute of IORAN, Kaliningrad. (unpuplished).
Trimonis E., Gulbinskas S., Kuzavinis M., 2003: The Curonian Lagoon bottom sediments in the Lithuanian
water area.// Baltica, v. 16, 13–20.
Uscinowicz Sz., Szczepanska T.,1994: Geochemical atlas of the Southern Baltic 1:500000. Polish Geological
Institute, Warszawa.
Uscinowicz Sz. Zachowicz J., 1996: Geochemical atlas of the Vistula Lagoon. Polish Geological Institute,
Warszawa.
— 16 —
INTERNATIONAL BORDERS GEOENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
GROUNDWATER MONITORING IN CROSS - BORDER AREAS – THE
EXPERIENCE OF LITHUANIA
GIEDRAITIENE, J.1; KADUNAS, K.1; SATKUNAS, J.1;GRANICZNY, M.2
1
2
Geological Survey of Lithuania,
Polish Geological Institute, Poland, www.pgi.gov.pl
Potable water supply in Lithuania is based exeptionally of groundwater taken from the pre-Quaternary and
Quaternary aquifers. The national groundwater monitoring is being carried out by Geological Survey of
Lithuania since 1946 and displays changes of state of groundwater chemistry and dynamics in the main aquifers.
All defined groundwater bodies (quality and quantity) in Lithuania are or could be impacted by antropogenic
activities carried out in neighbouring countries. Besides that, all main aquifers are associated to international
river basins: Venta and Musa (Lielupe) basin with Latvia; Upper Nemunas with Belarus; Middle Nemunas –
Belarus and Poland; Lower Nemunas – Poland and Russia (Kaliningrad Oblastj (Region). Therefore the
coordinated monitoring in cross-border areas must be carried out by joint efforts of Geological Surveys of
neighbouring countries.
The groundwater monitoring in the Polish - Lithuanian cross-border area was launched in 1994. Monitoring
system consists of 24 monitoring stations. 20 of them are installed into Quaternary intertill aquifers, which are
the main fresh water supply sources for centralised use and single residents. Hydrochemical sampling was
performed twice a year (spring and autumn) during 7 years with determination of macrocompounds. The type of
the land use is assumed as a possible reason of hydrochemical differences on both sides of border. The results of
monitoring of groundwater of the Quaternary intertill aquifers of the Lithuanian-Polish cross-border area, carried
out in period 1994-2000 show that groundwater quality is good and meets legal requirements for potable water,
valid in Poland and Lithuania. However, some differences of hydrochemical composition in Polish and
Lithuanian parts of cross-border have been determined. Bigger values of most hydrochemical compounds are
traced in Lithuania. The determined differences of the land use give an assumption that hydrochemical
composition of the groundwater in the Lithuanian part is influenced by the anthropogenic factor. This impact is
most probably inherited from the period of soviet type collective farming. Monitoring results show also trends of
increase of SO42+ Cl-, NH4+ ions in most monitoring stations. Increase of NO3– and NH4+ is more visibly
expressed in Polish side. In order to explain reasons of these trends, monitoring must be continued and
comprehensive analysis of factors performed.
The joint systems and programs of groundwater monitoring in the cross-borders areas with Belarus, Latvia
and Russia are under preparation and most likely will be launched in 2004.
— 17 —
KRYNICA MORSKA, POLAND 16-19 JUNE 2004
REMOTE SENSING DATA PERFECT TOOL FOR SOLVING GEOLOGICAL
AND GEO-ENVIRONMENTAL CROSS-BORDER ISSUES
GRANICZNY, M.; KOWALSKI, Z.; PIĄTKOWSKA, A.
Polish Geological Institute
Rakowiecka 4 St. 4, 00-975 Warszawa, Poland
Selected examples of the application of remote sensing data for geological and geo-environmental
investigations in the cross-border area are presented. These projects have been performed by Polish Geological
Institute in the international co-operation with the neighbouring countries partners, mainly geological surveys.
The lineament analysis of the satellite images and airborne radar images at the Polish – Czech border has
confirmed several known regional tectonic zones and revealed new structural system
To define the land use and trace its changes in the Polish – Lithuanian cross-border area two Landsat
satellite images have been acquired of 1979 and of 1992. It is noteworthy that in the period between 1979 - 1992
cultivated lands in Lithuania decreased nearly 20%, while in the Polish part, cultivated land area increased
almost about 3%. This dramatic change of land use in Lithuania has been caused obviously by the collapse of
collective farms after reestablishment of independence of Lithuania and corresponding economic transformation.
Polish Geological Institute and BGR (Geological Survey of Germany) started common studies in the Odra
valley on the beginning of 90th. The multitemporal Landsat TM images, satellite radar data and aerial photos
were widely used for mapping purposes.
By using satellite information (optical and microwave), local authorities, civil protection entities and
insurance and re-insurance companies received one more tool to monitor flood events in 1997 and to assess
damages. Furthermore, by combining the satellite information with topographic data (DTM), geological and
hydrological data, an even more end-user-oriented products can be obtained for direct utilization by entities in
charge of risk management and hazard prevention
In the regional scale, the satellite images could be also useful for landslide studies. On these images
recognition of unstable terrain where slides occur could be possible. Such analysis is enriched when satellite
images are applied together with DTM. Satellite images could be also useful for monitoring of land surface
changes related to landslides activity.
Several test sites for landslide monitoring have been established in the Carpathian Mountains in Poland,
Slovakia and The Czech Republic. TerraFirma is one of the projects being run by the European Space Agency
(ESA) under the GMES initiative. The project started in early 2003 with a core of National Geological Surveys
including the UK, France and the Netherlands, but has now expanded with the addition of Norway, Poland
(Polish Geological Institute – since summer 2003), Israel, Ireland, Greece and Germany.
The Sosnowiec case study and examples from other 17 European cities have indicated, that the geological
application of PSInSAR are evident for monitoring subsidence in relation to mining and tunnelling, climate
change-driven shrink-swell ground conditions, landslides, volcanic and tectonic motions, and for assessing
localised flood risk.
— 18 —
INTERNATIONAL BORDERS GEOENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING OF OILFIELD
“KRAVTSOVSKOE” (D-6) NEAR THE RUSSIAN-LITHUANIAN BORDER:
ORGANIZATION CHART AND PRELIMINARY RESULTS
SIVKOV, V.1; GOLENKO, N.1; KUZMINA, E.1; PANKRATOVA, N.1; SHCHUKA, S.2
& GORBATSKY, V.3
1
Atlantic branch of Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences,
1 prospect Mira, 236000 Kaliningrad, Russia,
e-mail: sivkov@baltnet.ru
2
Institute of Global Climate and Ecology, Roshydromet and Russian Academy of Sciences,
Glebovskaya 20b str., 107258 Moscow, Russia,
e-mail: shchuka@gmx.net
3
Krylov Central Research Institute, 44 Moskovskoe highway, 196158 St-Petersburg, Russia,
e-mail: gorbatsky@infopro.spb.su
Large oilfield “Kravtsovskoe” (D-6) was discovered in the 1983 in the south-eastern part of the Baltic Sea
within the bounds of Russian economical zone near the Lithuanian frontier. Its development is carried out by
Russian company “LUKoil-Kaliningradmorneft” Ltd. Program of industrial environmental monitoring of oilfield
was started in the beginning of 2003. The program is carried out by “LUKoil-Kaliningradmorneft” Ltd. in
cooperation with main scientific institutions of Russia. The program includes marine, coastal (offshore and
onshore) and land seasonal surveys.
The main principles of work content and marine monitoring space-time scheme forming are: observance of
environmental legislation requirements and HELCOM recommendations, coordination to earlier carried out
monitoring, taking into account transboundary aspect (proximity of Lithuanian frontier), ability of exterior
pollutions, necessity of background observations, and the principle of necessary adequacy.
Depending on functional purpose, scope and duration of observations monitoring is subdivided into three
main types: local, regional and intact monitoring. Local monitoring is an estimation system of environmental
situation and anthropogenic activity affects in relatively small area, which is subjected to building of drilling
platform, pipe laying, borehole drilling and so on. The main purposes of local observations are to reveal zones
and affects of disturbance of marine environment depending on impact intensity and to control the observance of
environmental regulations, standards and requirements. In order to HELCOM recommendations a net of local
observe points was determined, i.e. 12 stations situated on the distance of 100, 500 and 1000 m to drill site
(fig. 1).
Regional monitoring planning means that there are two major groups of external (concerning the sea) key
factors with directly and hard influence on marine ecosystem and its fertility, which finally determine its spacetime variability. The first one includes anthropogenic influence factors. The second one includes climatic
changes in physical, chemical and biological responses in the sea. Regional marine monitoring includes periodic
mesoscale observations, which let know long-term trends of main regional environmental parameters. Oil
extraction on shelf is only a part of other kinds of anthropogenic activity in the sea (navigation, fishery, sand and
gravel recovery, dredging and etc.). So regional monitoring of oilfield Kravtsovskoe can be interpreted as tracing
instrument for effects and consequences of all anthropogenic activities in adjacent water area the same as in
other known regional monitoring systems of the Baltic Sea. It is obvious that results of regional monitoring can
and must serve for scientific-informational support and environmental activity in the region. In planning a
regional monitoring net of oilfield Kravtsovskoe a necessity of tracing of outside pollutants from coast, open sea
and frontiers was taken into consideration. Regional monitoring is carried out on 22 stations (fig. 1). Most of
stations coincide in their location with stations of Russian state hydrochemical-hydrobiological monitoring and
fishery’s monitoring. This succession makes possible to have retrospective observation data.
Intact monitoring presumes periodic long-term observations in areas where anthropogenic activity is outlaw
or reduced to minimum (preserve, ecotopes of rare and endangered species). The main intact area in the frame of
oilfield Kravtsovskoe regional monitoring is Curonian Spit coastal area.
Survey of sea bottom morphology and near-bottom sediment dynamics along the pipe line and near the
platform is directed on danger estimation due to topography and sediments composition changes caused by lithodynamic regime changes (sediment erosion and accumulation). The bottom survey is carried out 1-2 times a
year by the side-scan sonar profiling. Once in two years high frequency acoustic profiling will accompany sonar
investigations. Bottom sediments sampling, visual description, exposure of macro-pollution and dividing of
samples for different analyses are carried out on board a ship. Grain-size composition, ignition loss and moisture
of sediments in stationary laboratories are determined. Oil hydrocarbons, contents of Cu, Cr, Cd, Pb, Ba and Hg
— 19 —
KRYNICA MORSKA, POLAND 16-19 JUNE 2004
in sediments are determined. Benthos quantitative sampling from the sediment and macrobenthos primary
processing are carried out on a board a ship. Biomass, abundance, benthic composition, stress and pathology
symptoms are determined in stationary laboratories. Aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons content in benthonic
organisms is determined.
Fig. 1. Spatial scheme of industrial environmental marine monitoring of Kravtsovskoe oilfield
(bathymetry was taken from corresponding GIS)
Sea water thermohaline parameters are registered by CTD-probe on the sections in scanning regime using
towing complex “Fish”, also in vertical sensing regime at the stations. Current measurements and suspended
matter concentration estimation (by sound scattering on particles) are carried out on the sections by Acoustic
Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP). Furthermore ADCP was installed on the sea bottom near the drilling platform
(on the distance 70 m) for long-term off-line current measurements in water column. Meteorological data from
few stations situated on Sambian Peninsula, Curonian Spit and drilling platform are received additionally for
forecasting of wind currents in the region.
Water sampling is carrying out on 2-5 water levels and the surface micro layer (0-2 cm) necessarily including
surface, thermocline and near-bottom layers. If depth of the sea is less than 10-12 m only surface and nearbottom water is sampled. The following hydro-chemical parameters are determined in these samples on a board
the ship and in stationary labs: pH, suspended matter concentration, solute oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand
(BOD5), phosphorus (organic, inorganic and total), nitrites and nitrates, ammonia nitrogen, oil hydrocarbons
including polyaromatic hydrocarbons, detergents.
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INTERNATIONAL BORDERS GEOENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
Phytoplankton, chlorophyll “α”, zooplankton, ihtyoplancton, total bacteria, oil oxidized microorganisms
abundance and microbial oil degradation are determined. Estimation of primary production and bacteria
destruction of organic matter and estimation of influence of pollutions on them (adding fixed concentration
toxicant in a water sample) are carrying out. Monitoring of pelagic and bottom fishes is carrying out by trawlacoustic survey method in accordance with standards of International Council of Exploration the Sea.
Ornithological observations are carried out during vessel and coastal surveys, too.
The data of seasonal surveys replenish database used for specialized geoinformation system (GIS) creation.
Besides in accordance with existing order the data maintenance (registration, forming, storage) concerning State
environmental condition data fund is carried out. All surveys data are used for creating and verification of
Operative forecasting system of marine environmental state, including hypothetical conditions of bedded
production (oil, gas, water) or drilling fluid emergency discharge. This system is based on a complex of
interconnected mathematical models. The ECOMSED model is used as a base model. This model (based on
hydrophysical block similar to POM) has a built-in sedimentological and biochemical blocks. The biochemical
part of model is based on separate blocks of Fasham-Sarmiento biogeochemical model, which were modified
and adapted for conditions of monitoring area. As monitoring data will accumulate the forecasting system will be
perfected.
The monitoring data received in 2003 (before the exploitation of the oilfield) essentially specified
background conditions of marine environment. Since May 2003 six cruise surveys were carried out. In view of
matter (including pollutions) transport problem the largest interest from the environmental geology standpoint
have current data. As the main part of pollutions is transported in suspension the information about suspension
concentration is very important. Observed background let reveal badly studied before mesoscale water dynamics
features in the area of monitoring. Knowledge about distribution of suspension concentration and its seasonal
variability were specified.
Operating program of environmental monitoring is constantly perfected. In near time it is planning to start
the remote sensing monitoring what will improve knowledge about nature processes in concerned area and
increase ability for revealing of sea surface pollution. As primary observation data accumulate, statistically
process (including factor analysis) and the mathematical model develop the quantity of ecosystem controlled
variables can be limited. For improving originated model it is desirable to add regular data from adjacent
Lithuania area of the sea.
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KRYNICA MORSKA, POLAND 16-19 JUNE 2004
OIL CONCENTRATION IN THE BALTIC SEA WATER
OFFSHORE KALININGRAD REGION, SPRING 2004
SIVKOV, V.1& ZYKINA, E.1
1
Atlantic branch of Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences,
1 prospect Mira, 236000 Kaliningrad, Russia,
e-mail: sivkov@baltnet.ru
Measurements of oil products (oil) concentration were carried out during complex marine environmental
survey in March and May 2004 on the R/V “Professor Shtokman” in frame of the Program of industrial
ecological monitoring of the Kravtsovskoe oilfield (D6). Additionally oil concentration was determined in
surface water on 23-24 March using ships belong to LUKoil-Kaliningradmorneft Ltd. Method of measurements
is based on oil extraction from the water by hexane with following fixing of intensity of extract fluorescence
(Russian device “Fluorat-02-03M”).
Due to survey results oil allocation in the water during March and May was coincide in the whole. Mean oil
concentration was 0.012 mg/l and 0.011 mg/l in surface and bottom layers, correspondently. The clear “tongue”
of increased oil concentration extending along Curonian spit was observed in March in the surface waters
(Fig. 1). Such direction of the “tongue” associated with north and north-west wind directions, observed during
the survey. The similar “tongue” was observed also in the bottom layer. Low oil concentrations were registered
close to Sambian Peninsula. It is possible connecting with active hydro- and lithodynamical processes in this
area.
Maximum oil concentrations (0.072-0.112 mg/l) in the surface layer were observed in the Vistula Lagoon
near the port Baltiysk and Kaliningrad Marine channel.
Fig.1 Oil concentration (mg/l) in the surface layer of the Baltic Sea
(59th cruise of R/V “Professor Shtokman”, 3-9.03.2004)
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INTERNATIONAL BORDERS GEOENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
In the bottom layer maximum oil concentrations (0.026-0.032 mg/l) (Fig. 2) were observed in the centre of
the Gdansk Deep (on the depths 70-110 m) within the limits of stationary bottom nepheloid layer. It is suggest an
idea that significant part of oil in the water is connecting with suspended matter.
Fig. 2 Oil concentration (mg/l) in the bottom layer of the Baltic Sea
(59th cruise of R/V “Professor Shtokman”, 3-9.03.2004)
— 23 —
KRYNICA MORSKA, POLAND 16-19 JUNE 2004
GEOLOGICAL MAPPING OF LITHUANIAN CROSS-BORDER AREAS – A BASIS
FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF MAPPED
TERRITORIES
LAZAUSKIENĖ, J.1; ŠLIAUPA, S.3; ČYZIENĖ, J.2 & SATKŪNAS, J.1
1
Geological Survey of Lithuania/Vilnius University, Konarskio 35, LT-2600 Vilnius, Lithuania;
e-mail: jurga.lazauskiene@lgt.lt
e-mail: jonas.satkunas@lgt.lt
2
Geological Survey of Lithuania, Konarskio 35, LT-2600 Vilnius, Lithuania;
e-mail: jolanta.cyziene@lgt.lt
3
Geological Survey of Lithuania/Institute of Geology and Geography,
Konarskio 35, LT-2600 Vilnius, Lithuania;
e-mail: saulius.sliaupa@lgt.lt
The knowledge of the geological and tectonic structure of the frontier territories is of great importance for
sustainable development of the cross-border areas and prognosis of processes in a wider area. The idea aimed to
compile a set of digital geological maps of Pre-Quaternary succession depicting geological and tectonic features
of the cross-border zones has been launched in 1995 by Geological Survey of Lithuania (LGT) and Polish
Geological Institute (PGI), oriented towards the infrastructure development of the cross-border areas.In 2000
Geological Survey of Lithuania (LGT) and Geological Survey of Latvia (LGS) established the joint project to
compile the Pre-Quaternary geological map at a scale 1:200 000 supplemented with a set of structural maps of
reference strata at a scale M 1:500 000 for the Lithuanian-Latvian cross-border area. Analogues project was
elaborated with Belarus a year later.
These cross-border map projects could be regarded as a first step towards compilation of the common
geological map of the Baltic region and adjacent territories – conditionally titled “Baltic cross-border”.
The “Baltic cross-border” project should have more objectives than only compilation of a new map, with attempt
to cover a wider range of geoscientific aspects – starting form surveying of the complex geological potential
of the region and following to the more specific applicable issues.
Pre-Quaternary Geological map of the Lithuanian-Polish cross-border zone at a scale 1:500 000 was
compiled on a basis of available drilling data. As stratigraphical schemes are usually different from country to
country, compilation of a common legend is a starting point in this work-flow. The Pre-Quaternary sedimentary
cover of the Lithuanian-Polish trans-border area is composed of the Lower Palaeozoic-Cenozoic sediments, with
younger strata sub-cropping towards the southwest. The Lower Triassic and Jurassic sediments subcrop in only
of up to 150m deep paleoincissions. The Lower Cretaceous (up to of 75 m thick) glauconitic sands of Albian age
are overlain by Upper Cretaceous Cenomanian sandy and limy succession, grading upwards to the TuronianLower Santonian predominantly chalk composed section (up to of 80m thick). Statigraphical gaps are common
in the Upper Cretaceous that are well reflected in the geological map. The Paleogene sediments, exposed in the
central part of the zone, comprises two stratigraphic stages - the Lower Paleocene and the Upper Eocene.
Pre-Quaternary geological map of the Lithuanian-Latvian cross-border zone at a scale of 1:200 000 was
compiled based on numerous well data. The layers shown on the maps are of the regional stage stratigraphical
level that link different local formations of both countries. This scheme was developed throughout past decades
that enables rather easy correlation of the different layers across the border. Sediments of the Upper Devonian,
Carboniferous, Upper Permian, Lower Triassic and the Middle-Upper Jurassic age crop out in the
pre-Quaternary surface. Due to the south-west dipping of layers, increasingly younger sediments are exposed
towards the SW. The Lower Triassic outcrops in the western part of the frontier area with the isolated occurrence
of the Middle-Upper Jurassic sediments in the westernmost part adjacent to the Baltic Sea shore. The Upper
Permian rocks of the Naujoji Akmene Regional stage comprises WNW striking belt in the central part of the
cross-border zone. The Lower Carboniferous Nica, Letiža and Paplaka Regional Stages crop out in the
westernmost part of the Latvian. The whole eastern half of the cross-border territory is composed by the Upper
Devonian rocks subdivided into numerous regional stages ranging in 3-80m thicknesses.
Traditionally, the sedimentary cover of the Baltic region is subdivided into the Baikalian, Caledonian,
Hercynian and Alpine structural complexes. In order to characterise the basic features of the tectonic framework,
structural maps of reference horizons at a scale 1:500 000 were compiled, i.e. the top of the crystalline basement,
the top of the Ordovician, and the base of the Narva Formation of the Middle Devonian. Several large-scale
tectonic faults of mainly Palaeozoic age are defined (Bauske, Telšiai, Akmenė, Mažeikiai, etc.). Two major fault
systems striking SW-NE and W-E are distinguished in the cross-border area, the latter being the most prominent.
— 24 —
INTERNATIONAL BORDERS GEOENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
Thus, the Ordovician and Devonian structures show rather similar trends. The local tectonic structures
of amplitudes ranging from 20 to 60 m associate with faults and basement blocks.
As a part of the project for the infrastructure development of the Lithuanian-Belarus cross-border area, the
Pre-Quaternary geological map at a scale of 1:200 000 was recently compiled. Data of more than 4,000 wells
stored in the digital database of the LGT were employed for map compilation. Also, geophysical data (mainly
potential fields) were interpreted to identify tectonic framework of the area. The subcropping stratigraphies vary
considerably at a local scale that is related to highly dissected Sub-Quaternary surface due to glacial and
melt-water erosion. Deep palaeoincisions (up to 200m deep) were detected in the area, the oldest stratigraphical
levels sub-cropping at the bottom. By contrast to Latvia, no specific common stratigraphical local units were
developed to correlate Pre-Quaternary geology in two countries. Accordingly, stratigraphy of Big Devonian
Field was employed for Devonian succession. For the rest, global stratigraphical scheme was used (stages and
sub-stages). The Middle Devonian terrigenian and carbonate sediments are mapped in the northern part of the
cross-border area, giving way to younger sediments of the Upper Permian, Lower Triassic, Cretaceous and
Tertiary in the south.
The newly compiled set of maps is prepared in a digital way (by the means of GIS MapInfo and ArcInfo
software), the layers are filled with geological attributes that increases the information volume of the map.
Several important scientific goals are achieved, including the correlation of the geological units that provokes
further development of the common stratigraphy and integration of geological knowledge between neighbouring
countries. Maps are designed to meet the needs of geologists, planners, engineers including the option to create
graphic documents showing areas that cover more than one map sheet belonging to different countries (e.g.
different nomenclatures). Geological information stored in these maps constitutes a new quality in the field of
geological cartography in the cross-border areas, valuable for territorial planning and infrastructure development,
evaluation of the potential of the subsurface recourses, mitigation of geological hazards, etc. Elaboration of the
geoscientific maps extends the geological information over the national borders, that is the first step for further
cooperation in the field of geology and geo-environment in the cross-border areas in the Baltic region.
REFERENCES:
Ber A., Bitinas A., Danilewska A., Doktor S., Graniczny R., Guobyte R., Krziwicki T., Satkunas J., Sliaupa S
(1997) Geology // Slowanska B. (ed.) Atlas. Geology for environmental protection and territorial planning
in the Polish – Lithuanian cross-border area. Warsaw: 6-10.
Cyziene J., Sliaupa S., Lazauskiene J. (2000) New edition of Prequaternary Geological Map of Lithuania at
a scale of 1:200 000 // Geological Survey of Lithuania. Annual Report 1999: 21-23.
Cyziene J., Sliaupa S., Murnieks, A, Lazauskiene J. (2004) The pre-Quaternary geological map of Lithuanian–
Latvian cross-border area at a scale of 1:200 000 // Geological Survey of Lithuania. Annual Report 2004:
15-18.
Cyziene J., Murnieks A., Lazauskiene J. (2003) Set of the geological maps of Lithuanian-Latvian border zone –
the first step towards the geological map of Baltic States // Geosciences for urban development
and environmental planning. Cogeoenvironment International Workshop, Vilnius, Lithuania: 20-22
Sliaupa S., Cyziene J., Lazauskiene J. (2002) Stratigraphy of Sub-Quaternary surface: new edition of the PreQuaternary Map of Lithuania at a scale of 1:200 000 // 5th Baltic Stratigraphic Conference Vilnius:
204-205.
— 25 —
KRYNICA MORSKA, POLAND 16-19 JUNE 2004
PLEISTOCENE DEPOSITS AND LANDFORMS WITHIN NORTH VIDZEME
OZOLS, D.
“Jēču dzirnavas”, Naukšēnu pag., Valmieras raj., LV-4244;
e-mail: dainis.ozols@biosfera.gov.lv
Territory of North Latvia and South Estonia from the point of view of geology and geomorphology is very
special place because it lies on the belt of prevailing processes of glacial erosion during the Pleistocene
glaciations (Straume, 82).
Large-scale negative forms of the relief testify of erosion processes. Such forms are depressions of Gulf of Riga,
Gulf of Parnu, lake Burtnieku, lake Vurtsjarv and Peipsi.
That depends of relatively soft and well erodable bedrock (terrigene formations of Middle and Upper Devonian).
Glacial landforms mainly are not covered by meltwater sediments and the territory lies in the region of very
stable tectonics.
There are lot of views in relation of origin of lowland landforms. In 90-ties prevailed opinions that stressed direct
impact of glacier to underlying sediments. During the last decades ideas of catastrophic subglacial floods were
developed mainly by North American researchers (Shaw, Kor, Cowell, Rampton, Shoemaker etc.).
Within the lowlands of North Vidzeme sediments within drumlins, inter-drumlin depressions, eskers, flat plains
and subglacial valleys were studied. For examining landforms maps 1:10 000 were used.
We found that there are typical laminated structures within gentle hills, that has been made of alternating layers
of sand, gravel and pebbly deposits with thin diamicted lenses of silty or clayey material. Diamicting is
distributed within the sequence very uniform, almost without thrust slices. Uniform deformation testifies of very
high hydrostatic pressure beneath the glacier.
Distinct grain size differences of layers testify of short distance of deformation.
Bad sorting of sediments, absence of cross-laminated and perluvium (lag) layers indicate the high saturation
of sediment flow beneath the glacier.
Little thickness and very different composition of layers testify of short terms of its origination. On the top
of sections, as a rule, lies sandy loam with admixture of gravel and pebble, the deposit, traditionally considered
as basal till.
Maps obtained from the analyzing demonstrate landforms that are formed during two stages (Fig.1) - gentle
forms of initial stage (channels, depressions, drumlins) and younger, more articulate and better preserved forms
of final stage (subglacial valleys, eskers, kames)
Glacial surges. The theory of glacial surges is best explaining the features that we observe on the outcrops
and topographic maps.
Glaciers were spreading as surging ice tongues over wide lowland of Eastern Europe.
That means ice moving on the thin pillow of meltwater sheetflow.
At the beginning of each surge cycle meltwater at the base of glacier couldn’t find free leakage and made
overlaying glacier buoyant. Subglacial water was under very high hydrostatic pressure (10-100 atm). That led to
disappearing of friction between glacier and underlying sediments. Radial gradient of pressure within glacier
over buoyant area made elevation of the glacier surface – so called cinematic wave. The surge began.
Thanks to glacier movement, regime of water flow was highly variable with great resulting erosional influence.
It is possible distinguish 2 main phases of development of glacier during the each surging cycle.
Phase 1
1.1 At the beginning of surge outflow of subglacial water took place in the manner of “sheetflow” . Flat erosion
lowered subglacial surface.
1.2 Erosion was prevailing – within gentle channels of divergent-type pattern. Elongated hills arose between
channels as erosional remains with some involvement of accumulation on the top of the forms (clayey sand and
gravel with abundant admixture of pebble).
Sheetflow erosion made wide and shallow depressions, later occupied by peat mires.
Clastic material has been carried in the direction of ice-divides and ice margin and formed inter-lobe uplands
(Augstroze and Ērģeme).
Phase 2
2.1 Closer to the ending of every surging cycle, when cinematic wave approached ice margin, subglacial water
got free outflow from the glacier. That led to decreasing of hydrostatic pressure of subglacial water and the base
— 26 —
INTERNATIONAL BORDERS GEOENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
of glacier tongue came to closer contact with underlying substratum. Pressure and movement of the glacier
diamicted the upper part of the sequence. Underlying material was involved into the movement by uniform
diamicting, deforming, movement along gentle thrust surfaces. Part of the moving material was changed into the
semi liquid mud that gradually loosed water content and mobility and got orientated or massive textures
and orientation of particles. The later material traditionally is considered as basal till deposited by lodgment
processes. But it may be true only in some special cases. Hills that arose during phase 1 were deformed by
moving glacier and got characteristic features of drumlins.
2.2 Movement of the glacier gradually stopped and the network of subglacial channels was reformed to
converging pattern – with the main meltwater streams lying in deeper subglacial valleys and tending find out
the nearest way to the glacier margin. As a rule one such subglacial meltwater river lay in the axial part of the
glacier tongue. Formation of small eskers, kames and outwash plains near the margin and outside the glacier.
Now we can observe landforms of the last surge cycle of the last glaciation.
Between surge cycles ice movement closed run-off and water pressure beneath the glacier began to rise. Regime
of lake established within subglacial channels and subglacial conduits were filled with fine sand, silt and clay.
Remains of these channels – so called buried valleys had been found in axial parts of Baltic sea, Gulf of Riga
and lowlands of North Latvia. Deepest buried valley of Latvia, -282m, is situated at the southern extension of
Gulf of Riga within town Jūrmala (Straume, 79).
Concerning surge deposits it is hard to establish how to consider sediments and landforms - as glacigenic or
glacifluvial and erosional or accumulative because both sides of the processes are involved.
There are no sharp boundaries between stages of surging cycle. Surges were alternate with longer periods of
glacier stagnation.
Glacial landforms determine the mode of landscape within the North Vidzeme. In total landscape has mosaic
type pattern with orientation of elementary landscapes along the glacier movement. Linear units of the landscape
are orientated in the same direction.
Study of Pleistocene sediments and landforms helps to understand the nature and regularities of distribution of
landscape and biotopes of North Vidzeme Biosphere reserve.
Fig.1. NE part of Burtnieku drumlin field, North Latvia. Subglacial valley of Rūja river
(from Rūjiena to Naukšēni) – at the center.
— 27 —
KRYNICA MORSKA, POLAND 16-19 JUNE 2004
REFERENCES:
Boulton G.S., Caban P.E., van Gijssel K., Leijnse A., Punkari M., van Weert F.H.A. 1996. The impact of
glaciation on groundwater regime in Northwest Europe. Global and Planetary Change, 12, 397-413.
Cox, D. 1998 Drumlins and Subglacial Meltwater floods. http://www.sentex.net/~tcc/sgfcrit.html .
Fisher T.G., Spooner I.S., 1994 Subglacial and subaerial meltwater origins for drumlins near Morley, Alberta,
Canada Sedimentary Geology vol.91(1-4) pp.285–298
Kor, P.S.G.; Cowell, D.W., 1998 Evidence for catastrophic subglacial meltwater sheetflood events on the Bruce
Peninsula, Ontario. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences: 35(10): 1180-1202
Ozols D., 2004. Research into Pleistocene Deposits within the North Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve and South
Estonia. In “Integrative approaches towards sustainability in the Baltic Sea Region”, Frankfurt am Main,
Peter Lang GmbH, Europāischer Verlag der Wissenschaften, 475-479
Piotrowski, J.A.; Tulaczyk, S., 1999 Ice-bed separation and enhanced basal sliding under the last ice sheet in
northwest Germany? Quaternary Science Reviews; 18: 737-751
Rampton, V.N., 2000.Large-scale effects of subglacial meltwater flow in the southern Slave Province, Northwest
Territories, Canada. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences37(1): 81-93.
Shaw, J., 1996 A meltwater model for Laurentide subglacial landscapes International Association of
Geomorphologists: International geomorphology conference. Edited by: S.B. McCann and D.C. Ford. John
Wiley & Sons 6: 181-236
Shoemaker, E.M., 1999 Subglacial water-sheet floods, drumlins and ice-sheet lobes. Journal of Glaciology
45(150) : 201-213.
Straume, J. , 1979 Geomorphology. In: Geology and mineral resources of Latvia (in Russian). Riga, Zinātne:
297-439
Straume, J. (ed.), 1982 Geomorphological map of the republics of Soviet Baltic, M 1:500 000 (map and
explaining text – in Russian), Vilnius.
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INTERNATIONAL BORDERS GEOENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
KEY PROBLEMS OF THE PLEISTOCENE PALAEOGEOGRAPHY IN THE
BELARUSIAN PART OF THE NEMAN TRANS-BORDER AREA
PAVLOVSKAYA, I. E.
Institute of Geological Sciences, Kuprevich St. 7, 220141, Minsk, Belarus,
e-mail ipavl@ns.igs.ac.by
The Belarusian part of the Middle Neman area could be considered as a key ‘triangle’ or a knot of
contradictions where some trans-border problems of the Pleistocene geology and palaeogeography have been
interfaced. Two important questions could be emphasized which still remain unanswered as regards a
Middle/Late Pleistocene hydrographical network evolution and deglaciation history. Prevailing opinions on the
Neman evolution supposed an inherited development of the Neman valley and almost invariable watercourse
during the whole Quaternary period. However, borehole records obtained in the last decade have brought new
materials which have engendered another views on the Middle Pleistocene evolution of the Neman river.
According to these data, the Neman valley in the Holsteinian Interglacial was located quite far to the south in
comparison with its present position and the main watercourse in the Middle Neman area was directed to the
south-west. Such a conclusion led to a necessity to re-examine existing records of the Late Pleistocene
development of hydrographical network in the area. A study of sediment successions of the best stratigraphically
defined sites has revealed the general features of prevailing sedimentary environments existed in the Late
Pleistocene. According to available sedimentary records, traces of fluvial activity in the present Neman valley
corresponded to the Late Weichselian time. The oldest fluvial sediments have been registered at Dubna, the most
southern site of the area. These sediments were formed during the maximum extent of the last ice sheet, as well
as initial phases of filling of the Skidel ice-dam lake. Further to the north, within longitudinal part of the present
Neman valley, river sediments are even younger. As recorded at Gozha, the large lake existed before and during
the maximum advance of the last ice sheet. Forming of the river beds and a development of the stream was
connected with phases of the Skidel lake drainage and level drops in the Middle-Lower Neman ice-dammed lake
system during the retreat of the ice sheet margin within Lithuania. An occurrence of interglacial sediments of
lake origin of the Eemian Interglacial together with the absence of synchronous fluvial records has led to the
conclusion that any large water stream was not developed within the present Neman valley in the Late
Pleistocene Interglacial. The actual Neman watercourse was formed during the final phases of the last glaciation
and the Late Glacial. A location of the Neman valley during the Eemian Interglacial still remains unknown. The
problem can be solved only by collaborative Belarusian-Lithuanian-Polish research.
Another important palaeogeographical problem is concerning the maximum extent of the last glaciation.
According to opinions of the Belarusian geologists, the last glaciation reached the Grodno Highland which acted
as an ice divide between the Vistula and Neman ice streams. Forming of ice divide was determined by bedrock
topography, considerably varied in its altitude. The irregular bedrock surface probably caused a relatively
passive glaciodynamic regime of the Neman stream that, in turn, determined an absence of morphologically
expressed end moraines and corresponding deposits within the marginal zone of the stream. Probably, this is the
reason of the different cross-border correlations of the maximum extent of the last ice sheet both in western
Belarus and the Polish and Lithuanian adjacent areas. T. Krzywicki (2002) places it in the Grodno area much
farther to the south in comparison with its position supposed by most of Belarusian geologists. R. Guobyte
(2002) suggests that this limit was located northerly, beyond the Grodno area. In this area, an occurrence of
many sections with interglacial Muravian (Eemian) sediments in situ not covered by till may rather support the
last opinion but the question is still under discussion and requires cross-border collaboration.
REFERENCES:
Guobyte R., 2002. Lithuanian surface: geology, geomorphology and deglaciation. Abstract of doctoral
dissertation, 1-31.
Krzywicki T., 2002. The maximum ice sheet limit of the Vistulian Glaciation in northeastern Poland and
nieghbouring areas. Geological Quarterly, 46/2, 165-188.
— 29 —
KRYNICA MORSKA, POLAND 16-19 JUNE 2004
ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND MANAGEMENT OF RIVER BASINS:
POSSIBLE IMPLICATIONS FOR ASSESSMENT OF STREAM DEGRADATION IN
CROSS-BORDER AREAS
SAVCHIK, S.
Institute of Geological Sciences, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus,
Kuprevich street 7, 220141, Minsk, Belarus,
e-mail: ssavchik@ns.igs.ac.by
River basins are commonly considered among the major elements of environmental media. Also they are
referred to as the important subjects of concern in land-use planning, environmental impact assessment and
environmental protection. At the same time, river systems, stretching over the vast areas, are divided by the
international borders, probably, more frequently than the majority of other natural bodies, and, therefore, they
are subjects of the special attention in terms of the international cooperation. Many projects, plans, programs and
policies have impact implications for the river environments.
River systems represent more dynamic and open depositional environments as compared with lacustrine and
peat-bog systems. The response of fluvial system to landscape alteration by man lies in changes of hydrological
regime, depending on precipitation, evaporation, sediment supply and erosion rate within the river catchment
(Starkel, 1991). The hydrological- and geomorphological system “river catchment -- river floodplain” reacts
quite quickly to the considerable anthropogenic changes within river catchments. The mechanism of change in
the floodplain sedimentation due to the anthropogenic alteration of previously natural landscapes includes the
accelerated accumulation of sandy loams covering natural floodplain deposits and habitats. The watersheds,
when altered by man, supply exceeding amounts of the eroded material into the river valleys. Rivers become
overloaded with sediments (especially during spring floods), that results in an accumulation of specific poorly
sorted floodplain muds. The sediment yields within the river floodplain may triple as a result of forest clearance
and other human impacts (Thieme, 2001). According to the studies carried out in the valleys of selected small
and medium rivers in Belarus, fluvial sedimentation in the valleys of severely altered by man river basins may be
18-25 times more intensive than that under the natural conditions. Figure 1 depicts an intensive accumulation of
floodplain loams triggered by the fire burnt out the forest in the catchment of Drut River, Belarus.
Fig. 1. Accelerated accumulation of poorly sorted floodplain loams triggered by the forest fire, Drut River,
Belarus.
The extreme consequence of such accelerated accumulation of the floodplain alluvium results to the
degradation of small rivers (which mostly are the tributaries of 2 nd and 3rd orders of the major rivers). The
— 30 —
INTERNATIONAL BORDERS GEOENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
degraded river acquires the features of seasonal stream, it rarely floods over the former floodplain, which results
in turning the floodplain environments and habitats into that of semi-dry meadows.
Monitoring and reporting the environmental changes within the river catchments is an important element of
the environmental monitoring in general and of the environmental impact assessment in particular. The
monitoring procedures are commonly based on monitoring selected environmental indicators, which reflect the
intensity of human impacts and river system responses to human impacts. A number and characteristics of
monitored environmental indicators depend upon the requirements set up by legislation in particular country. For
example, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) elaborated dozens of indicators and indices to be
monitored and reported throughout the country. They include as traditional water quality indicators as complex
indices representing multiple human impacts within the entire river basin (The US EPA, 1995). In Belarus, very
few water quality and flood control indicators are monitored on the permanent basis, although a number of
advanced techniques for environmental monitoring are elaborated and available (Savchik, 2000).
The environmental management of river basins divided by international borders require an implementation of
multi-national programs of the environmental monitoring and reporting. Such programs have been elaborated for
several trans-border river basins (e.g. Dnieper basin, UNDP project) and integrate the most advanced techniques
and approaches in the environmental monitoring and reporting. Neman and Bug river basins also may be
subjects to similar multinational projects, which become especially topical because of the enlargement of
European Union and urgency of unification of approaches to river basin management.
REFERENCES:
Savchik, S., 2000, Anthropogenic changes in topographic relief: applications in environmental impact
assessment. Geological Quaterly, 44 (4), 363-369.
Starkel, L., 1991. Fluvial environments as sources of information on climatic changes and human impact in
Europe. Paläoklimaforschung, Palaeoclimate Research 6, 241-245.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency, 1995. Conceptual framework to support development and
use of environmental information in decision making: 239-R-95-012, Washington, D.C.
Thieme, D.M., 2001. Historic and possible prehistoric human impacts on floodplain sedimentation, North
Branch of the Susquehanna River, Pennsylvania, USA. In: D. Maddy, M.G. Macklin, J.C. Woodward
(eds.). River Basin Sediment Systems: Archives of Environmental Change. A.A. Balkema Publishers, The
Netherlands, 375-403.
— 31 —
KRYNICA MORSKA, POLAND 16-19 JUNE 2004
GEOENVIRONMENT AND INTERNATIONAL BORDERS
SATKUNAS, J.1; GRANICZNY, M.2 & LAZAUSKIENĖ, J.3
1
Geological Survey of Lithunia, LT 03123, Konarskio 35, Vilnius Lithuania,
e-mail: jonas.satkunas@lgt.lt
2
Polish Geological Institute, Rakowiecka 4, 00-975 Warsaw, Poland,
e-mail: marek.graniczny@pgi.gov.pl
3
Geological Survey of Lithunia, LT 03123, Konarskio 35, Vilnius Lithuania,
e-mail: jurga.lazauskiene@lgt.lt
Both surfacial and subsurface layers of the Earth comprise the background for the existence of the mankind.
The steady flow of data and information about it to society is of great importance for the economical and
environmental development of our multicultural society. Geological and environmental information is necessary
for local authorities, politicians and companies in the decision making process - spatial planners, environmental
specialists, consultants need quick insight in the specific properties of the surfacial and subsurface data for cost,
risk estimation and the other purposes.
Geological boundaries usually do not coincide with international borders. The use of subsurface resources,
pollution of groundwater, changes in lands and landscapes near the margin of one country etc. can influence the
subsurface environment of its neighbors. For instance, the water crisis in Gaza strip, caused by the rapid growth
in population and dependence upon the groundwater as a single water source (Israel and Palestinian Authority
share several groundwater basins), strongly influences the political stability and economic development in the
region. With this concern, the joint water management scheme, could be regarded as one of such a solutions.
Still, geo-environmental data and measurement procedures, that often are different in different countries, due to
the different reasons usually are restricted to national access mostly and the geosientific information can hardly
be shared or compared across the international boundaries.
Decisions can be only correct while properly operating the available information (data and measurements)
from different countries. Therefore, there is is a vital need to encourage and promote interdisciplinary
cooperation across international borders (onshore and offshore) for the efficient application of geoscientific
information in environmental planning, ecosystem monitoring and environment impact assessment in crossborder areas, thus, securing sustainable use of subsurface resources, the quality of the environment and the
mitigation of preventing geological hazards.
The geo-environmental solutions would be oriented towards sustainable managing the mineral recourses on
the cross-border scale by careful planning of their use in the transboundary regions to achieve the minimal
environmental impact. The transboundary occurrence of geological recources often causes the environmentally
hazardous situations, especially in less economically developed countries. Cross-border pollution in Southern
Africa results from extraction of mineral recourses, that produces the industrial emissions of sulphur dioxide,
nitrous oxides, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide all over the wide territories. Radioactive and heavy metal
pollution and the other hazardous processes are widely manifested for last 10 years in Central Asia (e.g. in the
areas crossed by transboundary waterways in Fergana Valley). Hazardous natural and technogenic processes
usually caused by tailings and waste dumps disposal leads to the technogenic impact of toxic elements on water
reservoirs, soil and air that consequently has a strong effect on the population. No regional political agreements
on air pollution monitoring in both in the Southern Africa and Central Asia regions (except the efforts of the
individual governments to fix the problem by different acts of legislation) makes the international agreements
highly requested. The joint management and development programs in the cross-border territories would make a
step towards a balanced environmental legislation and policy much easier.
The important aspect of the cross-border cooperation is to increase the availability, applicability and
accessibility of the geoscientific and environmental data, providing cross-boundary access for the geoenvironmental data sets in different countries. One of the major tasks of national and regional geological
surveys, that are collecting and maintaining different kind of environmental and geoscientific data, is to
disseminate them further to all national users. The elaboration of the cross-border geo-information services based
on public geodata stored in the national geodatabases would stimulate the market for planning, engineering and
environmental sectors and support the decrease of the costs of geotechnical surveys. The accessibility of
available cross-border geo-information through mobile equipment (e.g. via the Internet) would strengthen the
partnership between data suppliers, geotechnical and environmental specialists and the end-geodata-users in the
transboundary context.
The internationally promoted geoscientific information infrastructure would help to develop the cross-border
content and application market. Newly developed methods and techniques would make it easier to provide the
— 32 —
INTERNATIONAL BORDERS GEOENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
end-users of geoscientific data with information and products their need. E.g. the satellite information would
provide local authorities, civil protection entities and insurance companies with a tool to monitor flood events,
landslides (and surface changes related to landslides) and access the damage. Combining the satellite information
with topographic, geological and hydrological data end-user-oriented products can be obtained for direct
utilization by entities in charge of risk a management and hazard prevention. Moreover, internationally
coordinated, and standardized information would make easier to find the international data for instance on
seismological, flooding, landslide risk, pollution level, the other hazardous processes, that would stimulate the
democratic decision making process and cross-border exchange. The exchange of the information for the
recreational and tourism market (e.g. important geological sites, geoparks, fossil locations, volcanoes, the other
geological heritage etc.) in the transboundary territories, combined with geoscientific knowledge, makes an
important value for developing of those sectors. Parallel to the sustainable development, the issues of the
conservation of geo-heritage, tourism impact on ecosystem as well as sustainable development of the geotourism will be considered. An initial pathway into tourism and recreation market is already established but
hardly needs to be further developed and widespread.
The cooperation in cross-border territories is of particular importance for the implementation of the principles
of for a spatial development and could contribute to a reduction of environmental pollution, to help to secure
environmental conditions of regional and international significance. The wide transboundary availability of the
information on the geo-environmental Earth recourses would have many benefits, as national boundaries
becomes less important and trans border exchange of knowledge, data and materials increases worldwide.
Understanding this the Working Group on International Borders – Geoenvironmental Concerns (IBC) under
the umbrella of the IUGS Commission on Geological Sciences for Environmental Planning
(COGEOENVIRONMENT) has been established to promote interdisciplinary cooperation across international
borders (onshore and offshore) for the efficient application of geoscientific information in environmental
planning, ecosystem monitoring and environment impact assessment in cross-border areas.
The objectives of IBC are:
1) to increase awareness of the relevance of geoscience to land use planning, subsurface resources
management, and sustainable development and management of cross-border areas.
2) to inform planners, managers, developers, policy makers, lawyers and other appropriate groups
concerned with cross-border areas of the importance of geoscience to their activities and interests;
3) to develop practical and user-friendly geoscience-based approaches, techniques and models for use by
all involved in cross-border environmental management issues;
4) to inform and/or train geoscientists on the use of these approaches, techniques, and models in relation
to planning, land resource management and sustainable development of cross-border areas;
5) to draw together the geoscientists of neighbouring countries where the current level of activities is
different.
In order to achieve these objectives IBC is organising n and planning to run number of workshops, collect
and assess information on existing geoenvironmental problems, legal base and activities, to organise
international network of geoscientists interested in the cross-border geoenvironmental cooperation etc.
— 33 —
KRYNICA MORSKA, POLAND 16-19 JUNE 2004
TRENDS OF LITHUANIAN SEA COAST DYNAMICS
ŽILINSKAS, G.
Institute of Geology and Geography, Department of Sea Research
Sevcenkos Str. 13, 2600 Vilnius, Lithuania
E-mail. zilinskas@geo.lt
The present state of Lithuanian coast (length 90.6 km) is an object of concern not only for researchers but
also for press and broader public. As a result of coast erosion the recreational space is reducing, and hazards
occur for hydrotechnical constructions and other economic objects and their infrastructure. Despite the top
priority of the problem of coast dynamics no methodically grounded works, comprehensively describing the
geodynamic state of coasts, have so far appeared. For this reason the task of establishing the measures of coastal
management and their implementation on behalf of sustainable development of Lithuanian coastal area becomes
especially difficult.
As the processes of coast regression are much slower (take from a few to some years) than its erosion (often
taking from one to a few days) they are often invisible. That is why the establishment of the trends of coastal
state dynamics requires accurate long-term measuring preferably including at least a few erosion and
regeneration cycles. The data of episodic measuring after extreme storms without taking into consideration the
regeneration (calm weather) period do not reflect the long-term trends of dynamics. This work is based on a time
frame 1993–2003. The processes of coastal formation during this time span were affected by two extreme storms
– January 13–25, 1993 and December 4–5, 1999 – and two spans of relatively calm weather (coastal
regeneration) – 1994–1999 (before hurricane “Anatoly”) and 2000–2003.
The budget of coastal surface sediments has been chosen as an indicator of long-term morphodynamic
coastal trends. The budget of coastal surface sediments was determined using the monitoring data of Lithuanian
coastal dynamics, collected by the Coastal Research Sector (1993), Institute of Geography. The monitoring
(annual levelling) was performed in 177 fixed coastal stations.
Analysis of collected field data revealed that:



The budget of continental coastal surface sediments (in a time frame 1993–2003) was negative. The
annual loss of sediments from the continental coast was 47 930 m 3 of sand on the average (1.3 m3
from one linear metre).
The budget of Curonian spit coastal surface sediments (1993–2003) was positive. The total of sand
annually accumulated in the Curonian spit coast is about 34 830 m3 (or 0.7 m3 per linear meter).
The total annual average sand budget of the Lithuanian coast (1993–2003) was negative (-13 100
m3).
The following most intensively eroded sectors may be distinguished in the Lithuanian coastal zone (Figs
1, 2): Būtingė–Latvian border; Palanga pier – Birutė Mount; Olando Kepurė and Šaipiai morainic cliff areas at
Melnragė II (continental coast); Kopgalis cape (Curonian spit).
— 34 —
INTERNATIONAL BORDERS GEOENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
80 Q, m3/m
60
40
20
0
-20
-40
-60
-80
-180
Nida
-160
Preila
-140
Pervalka
Smiltynë II
Smiltynë I
-120
Juodkrantë
-100
L, km
-200
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Fig. 1. Variations of sediment supplies (Q) in the continental coast in 1993–2003. Abscissa – distance
from the state border with Latvia.
3
80 Q, m /m
60
40
20
0
-20
-40
-60
Melnragë I
Melnragë II
-180
Nemirseta
-160
Palanga
Bûtingë
-140
Ðventoji
-120
Olando kepurë
-100
Giruliai
-80
L, km
-200
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Fig. 2. Variations of sand supplies in the Curonian spit coast in 1993–2003. Abscissa – distance
from the port of Klaipėda jetty.
Comparative analysis of cartographic material (1912–1915,1947,1955,1972,1981,1990) supplemented with
the field data of 1993–2003 revealed that the Lithuanian marine accumulative coast sector has considerably
reduced and the eroded sector increased in the second half of the 20th century (Fig. 3). An especially pronounced
intensificatation of negative coastal changes (reduction of the accumulative and increase of the abraded coastal
sectors) has been recorded since the end of the last decade of the 20th century.
— 35 —
KRYNICA MORSKA, POLAND 16-19 JUNE 2004
L, km
50,0
45,0
40,0
35,0
30,0
25,0
20,0
15,0
10,0
5,0
0,0
1947
1972
1981
1990
Accumulation
1996
2000
2003
Years
Abrasion
Fig. 3. Changes of the length of accumulative and abraded marine coast sectors in Lithuania in 1947–2003.
During the time frame 1947–2003 the length of accumulative sectors in the Lithuanian coastal area has
reduced by 4.4 times (from 46.5 to 10.6 km). During the same time frame the length of eroded or stable sectors
increased by 1.8 times (from 14 to 25 km).
— 36 —
INTERNATIONAL BORDERS GEOENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
ESTIMATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SENSITIVITY OF THE CURONIAN SPIT
COASTAL ZONE NATURAL COMPLEXES TO THE SEA CHEMICAL
POLLUTION
ZOTOV, S.1; VOLKOVA, I.2; SHAPLYGINA, T.2
1
Russia, Kaliningrad, Nevsky str., 14, Kaliningrad State University, Geoecology Department,
e-mail: zotov@atlas.baltnet.ru
2
Russia, Kaliningrad, Nevsky str., 14, Kaliningrad State University,
Geoecology Department, Doctor of Geography,
e-mail: volkova@geo.albertina.ru
In connection with the unsatisfactory ecological situation in the Baltic Sea, the development of the oilfields
on the shelf the estimation of the ecological sensitivity of the coastal landscapes to chemical pollution of the sea
is actual. This direction of researches has the special importance for transboundary protected natural territories,
such as the Curonian spit.
For ranking and mapping of ecological sensitivity the coastal zone (the beach and the foredune) of the
Curonian spit (Russian part) analysis was made and the expert evaluation of the following parameters was given:
The width of the beach. The value of this parameter varies from 10 m in the root part of the Curonian spit up
to 50 m and more in the frontier part with Lithuania. The areas of coastal wash-out, transit of sediments and their
accumulation are marked. The area of wash-out occupies a coastal zone from the town Zelenogradsk to the
settlement Rybachij and its length is 34 km, and the beach width here is minimal – 10-20 m. The area of
sediments transit is located between the settlements Rybachij and Morskoe, its length is 22 km, the width of the
beach is 20-40 m. The area of accumulation between the settlement Morskoe and the Lithuanian border extends
for 10,4 km, the width of the beach is 50 m and more. In the coastal zone with the minimal width of the beach
(10-20 m) and destroyed foredune during strong storms the water and pollutants inrush (including oil) to the
territory of the spit is possible.
The condition of the foredune. The disturbed condition is fixed on the whole site of coastal wash-out from
the town Zelenogradsk to the settlement Rybachij. The strong disturbance of the foredune is observed over the
first 10 km of the spit, further the wash-out is marked periodically and locally. On the site of sediments’ transit
between the settlements Rybachij and Morskoe condition of the foredune may be characterized as stable. On the
area of accumulation outside the settlement Morskoe the width of the foredune reaches the greatest values – 100
m and more.
The distance from the beach and the foredune to the settlements. In immediate proximity from the foredune
and the beach there are dwellings and recreational objects in the settlements Lesnoe and Khvojnoe. The least
width of the beach and destroyed foredune in the area of the settlement Lesnoe raises ecological sensitivity of
this territory.
Presence of rare species of flora and fauna. From the point of view of the biodiversity and in particular
variety of birds, a sea beach and foredune belong to the territories with medium sensitivity. Among rare and
protected species of birds, included in the Red Data Book of the Baltic region, it is necessary to note Charadrius
hiaticida which nestings are marked on the sea beach between the settlements Rybachij and Morskoe.
Presence of recreational areas. The greatest quantity of vacationists on the beach and the foredune is
observed in areas of settlements, tourist bases and equipped places of rest. The marked parameters are shown in
the matrix:
Parameter
Gradation
Points
1. The width of the beach (m)
10 – 20
5
20 – 40
3
> 40
1
2. The condition of the foredune
Strongly disturbed
5
Disturbed
3
Slightly disturbed
2
Not disturbed
1
3. The distance from the beach and the
1 – 100
5
foredune to the settlements (m)
100 – 200
3
200 – 500
2
500 – 1000
1
4. Rare species of flora and fauna
Presence
3
5. Recreational areas
Presence
2
— 37 —
KRYNICA MORSKA, POLAND 16-19 JUNE 2004
Based on the summation of points the ecological sensitivity of coastal zone of the Curonian spit to chemical
pollution was ranked with separation of the following categories:
Category
Lowered
Moderate
Heightened
High
Very high
Points
≤4
5–7
8 – 10
11 – 13
≥14
The greatest sensitivity is characteristic for the areas adjoining the settlement Lesnoe, what is stipulated by
combination of some factors: small width of the beach, damaged foredune, proximity of dwellings and
recreational objects. The areas of the coast with the least width of the beach, strongly disturbed and disturbed
foredune, places of rest have high and the heightened sensitivity. The areas of a coastal zone with these degrees
of sensitivity stretch from the root part of the Curonian spit to the settlement Rybachij inclusive. Moderate
sensitivity is observed in the coastal zone from the settlement Rybachij to the settlement Morskoe, what can be
explained by a stable condition of the beach and foredune. In the places of rest on this area the heightened
sensitivity is characteristic, and in the area of the settlement Morskoe it is high. Nestings of Charadrius hiaticida
(the protected species registered in the Red Data Book) marked here, give additional points to ecological
sensitivity of this territory. For accumulative coast (the settlement Morskoe – Lithuanian border) with the
greatest width of the beach and not disturbed condition of the foredune the lowered sensitivity and in the places
of recreational areas the moderate sensitivity is observed.
— 38 —